The Guard Dog Returns!
by TarnItUp
Summary: Ciel decides to reclaim his title as Guard Dog, but there is one condition- he has to visit Ouran first. Is this a mission fit for a Guard Dog like him? Well, if young girls keep disappearing, then it might end up that way!
1. Chapter 1

**Redone first chapter. **

**Edits: general tidy-up**

**Notes: Italics represent memories or thoughts, possible spoilers (I might have taken a liberty or two, though...), lots of backstory. **

* * *

><p><em><strong>Hell.<strong>_

_Even to this day, if it could even be called that, it still surprised him._

_**Hell.**_

_It was like his own personal hideaway, a place he shared with no one but the one he held closest to him, even if this wasn't necessarily true._

_**Hell.**_

_The closest semblance of home he had, living there off and on for over a century now._

_**Hell.**_

_It was so reminiscent of where he had come from, when he was so young. It reminded him of feeling loved and welcomed, of never wanting for anything, and particularly of the elaborate rose gardens that had filled the lush backyard of his mansion back 'home'._

_Only, everything was different. It was like a tune played in reverse, or a photograph held next to an identical, flipped image- so similar, almost eerily so, but so very different._

_There was an insubstantial quality to this world that he just couldn't get enough of. It captivated him, held him in its unearthly thrall. But..._

_**Hell.**_

_He was absolutely bored out of his mind._

_The grove of flowers, the delicious blossoms of alabaster and ebony that had once enchanted him, were now just plain roses. Disillusioned, he was finally quite sick of them. He wanted Sebastian to come back already._

_The butler had already been gone long enough, and though Ciel had him at his beck and call, he couldn't bring himself to ruin the demon's chances at consuming a new soul._

_Ciel and Sebastian had an agreement- while Sebastian was working through a contract, Ciel would stay in hell for the most part. Ciel had no patience for Sebastian's other masters, and the other masters never could understand how a demon could have a contract with another demon. Ciel despised sharing Sebastian's attention. Time passed quicker in hell, anyway._

_He was also being punished, and while unnecessary, he decided to humor the butler._

_Hunger clawed faintly at his stomach, but he ignored it. He was to wait for Sebastian to return first._

_Anxious, he rolled over on his side amongst the roses, inhaling their heady aroma. And still he was staring at the black symbol that marked his hand. The one that symbolized his contract he had made, and was proof of how clever Ciel was, establishing the terms of the contract according to Ciel's own wishes rather than those of his 'master's'- it proved that even when Ciel was supposedly under another's orders, he was still the king._

_He still controlled the pawns, and the game would only end when he himself had fallen. His plan was over a hundred years in the making, after all. All flaws had long since been ironed out, every detail painstakingly attended to. Except the boredom. That still plagued him far more often than he would ever care to admit. Endless patience he may have when it came to executing plans, but it was something he tended to lack when it came to anything else in his unlife._

_It might have been seconds, hours or perhaps even weeks later that a breeze crossed the air. Ciel never knew how much time passed, it really didn't mean too much to him here. He sniffed at, recognizing it, but ignored it._

_It wasn't until he heard a voice that his routine of lying languidly amongst the roses was disturbed._

_"Bocchan, you look a mess," Sebastian called, amused._

_Ciel sat up, staring the butler steadily in the eye._

_The boy smelled strongly of roses, that was the first thing Sebastian had noticed. The deep and dark mysterious scent of the ebony mingled delicately with the waxy freshness of the dove. The smell seemed to permeate the child-like demon to the core, until Sebastian was sure that the perfectly balanced scent of the flowers had found their way from the root of every single hair on Ciel's head to the tip of the boy's dark, heeled boots._

_The deep azure hair was also mussed and the clothes were in a disarray, no doubt from Ciel lazily tossing and turning in the roses as if they were a bed where he did not sleep. Though the thorns from the roses seemed not to bother Ciel in the least, they had managed to tear several rips in his clothes and clung to him like briars. Did his young master not even care?_

_Sebastian sighed deeply, kneeling before Ciel and looking him closely in the eye. Ciel knew that Sebastian loved the deep hue of his eye as much as a demon could love anything, and it was part of the reason he had chosen that spot in the first place- to spite him just a little. Over the years, Ciel liked to say the seal's location was chosen due to the deeper symbolism of it all, how half of his world would from then on be seen through the eyes of the devil, and how having the two-toned eyes was an example of the proof of the unique bond they shared. Sebastian, however, didn't believe any of Ciel's shit._

_Sebastian knew Ciel on an intimate level, and had figured his young lord out. He knew Ciel only wanted the satisfaction of stealing away one of his pretty blue eyes from Sebastian._

_Theirs could be a tense, mocking relationship at times, but it certainly kept things interesting._

_Gently, Sebastian ran his fingers through Ciel's matted hair in an attempt to smooth it out. "Tsk tsk, Bocchan," he muttered with a small smirk._

_Ciel rolled his eyes. Sebastian dove right into business._

_"Did you do any thinking while you were here? It's about time for your contract to come to an end, after all. Will you allow the latest descendant to renew it again this year?"_

_"What is his name again?"_

_"Ciel, same as yours, as you asked them to name him. You know fully well that the timing couldn't be any better, so I ask again- when we strike, do we leave any still standing?"_

_Ciel smirked darkly at Sebastian. A hint of pearly teeth shone from between the barely-parted lips, like perfect little chips of enamel between the pale petals of a fallen rose._

_"No. Like dominoes and ashes, they will all fall down. Sebastian, let us revive the Phantomhive curse. Let us burn down the manor, and let us feast on their souls."_

_Such a pretty little speech. Sebastian found it superfluous._

_"Is that an order, my lord?" he asked._

_"Yes, Sebastian. It is."_

_Sebastian stood, and Ciel was in his arms. They turned, and together they left hell._

* * *

><p>"Time to awaken, Bocchan."<p>

Ciel mumbled something incoherent, likely a string of obscenities, rolling away from the light streaming through the freshly pulled apart drapes.

Sebastian had to marvel- even after all of these years, Ciel was still ostensibly difficult to wake up. Sometimes Sebastian even wondered if he was becoming even more difficult to awaken as the years passed, although he dared not speak it. The curses cut off rapidly, however, at the smell of the strong tea filling the air.

"For breakfast today we have a lightly poached salmon, accompanied by a delicate mint salad. I can also offer toast, scones, or pain de compagne." Every morning, the same offering.

It was the scent of New Moon Drop, the only tea he could taste on a consistent basis, that truly got Ciel up, though. After becoming a demon, Ciel's sense of taste was the only thing dulled rather than enhanced- only the strongest of flavors ever reached his tongue. Very strong teas and sweets could regularly be tasted, to Ciel's pleasure, but most other foods were plain or bitter like ash.

Ciel supposed it was because of how souls were now the only thing he ever really needed to eat- and then he only needed to eat every so often. Right now he felt pleasantly full, especially considering his recent feast. He wouldn't expect to need to eat again for at least a decade or so after the number of souls consumed in such a short time. It had been quite an adventure...

Morning routine, however, still needing to be carried out, meant Ciel had to get up and stop dwelling in his thoughts. Much to his displeasure. This was why he preferred to not sleep- he didn't have to mess around with waking up, when his thoughts were muddled and his wits not about him. However, sleeping did have it's benefits...

"A scone," Ciel mumbled, rubbing from his eyes the rheum that had formed overnight as he had slept.

"Today you will be attending your first day at school," Sebastian said stiffly, habitually.

Ciel nodded drowsily. "Ah, yes. I had nearly forgotten. I can't wait," he replied, his sarcasm scathing. Sebastian offered him a meager grin, amused at Ciel's enthusiasm (or lack thereof). Ciel drew the covers away from himself and sat up, giving his head a small dog-like shake to flip the hair from his eyes. His fingers felt around to the right, fingers searching the nightstand blindly, albeit unerringly, for the eye patch.

"Remember, we will need to arrive early to discuss the plan with the headmaster. Then, we will follow the queen's orders."

Ciel hummed in acknowledgement, turning his body so his legs dangled from the edge of the bed. He held his arms out, and Sebastian's pale fingers plucked at the buttons at his chest, undoing them for Ciel. After the nightshirt was gone, a uniform was placed on the edge of the bed for Ciel's examination.

The boy frowned.

"Is the uniform not to your liking? I'm sure it would be quite simple to alter it slightly to meet your preferences." Sebastian would expect nothing less from his young, make-no-concessions master.

"Yes, get on that. Now. And I would very much like that scone now as well," Ciel grumbled, taking a sip of his clear tea.

The uniform was gathered up and placed on a nearby table.

Ciel took another sip. "Replace the necktie with one of my old ones. I despise those shoes, find some different ones. The jacket should be a little longer and fuller in the bottom. And I want gloves. For both of us."

Sebastian left for a moment, returning in the blink of an eye with a tray of pastries in one hand, the other arm filled by several extra articles of clothing. A threaded needle was held between the dashing butler's lips. The spool and thread trailed to his pocket.

Sebastian bowed, taking care not to drop anything, and placed the tray next to the tea set, within Ciel's reach. He pulled the socks up, one at a time, up over Ciel's calf. And then, he drew the pants up over Ciel's ankles, over his knees, and situated them on his waist, buttoning them.

A fine silk shirt was pulled over his arms, only it was much different than the ones Ciel was accustomed to. This one seemed to be much more uniformly made, and had a different collar. A fine, smokey grey vest came next, and the uniform's usual necktie was replaced by a thin ribbon of an identical color tied in a bow around his neck.

Then came the boots and jacket, the final alterations of which took mere seconds. Sebastian added only a few stitches to the blue coat, yet the end product looked as if done by a master tailor. Though the jacket was no longer than before, it looked that way, and it fluffed out as Ciel's old jackets had. The heeled boots, likewise, looked as if they had taken a step from the past for the express purpose of fitting Ciel's feet. Sebastian did the buttons up for Ciel on both.

Last was the adornment of Ciel's hands. The white gloves were tugged over his fingers, and the silver, blue jeweled ring was put on his thumb.

In all, the effect was perfectly suitable. Somehow, Ciel managed to pull off the melding of Victorian era fashion and modern fashion, and managed to look good doing it. Ciel, for the moment, was content.

Ciel then turned, looking Sebastian up an down critically as well. His uniform had remained unmodified, and Ciel thought it strange to see his black butler in blue. Ciel clucked his tongue in disapproval. "Put on a black tie," he ordered. "That blue one looks ridiculous."

Sebastian smiled wryly, undoing the knot as he left the room, leaving Ciel alone.

Ciel sighed. He didn't really want to attend school, but he was just glad the Princess's niece-in-law would be attending a private school, not a public one. Had that been the case, Ciel might have considered rescinding his offer to become the Queen's guard dog again. But, he still had to wonder, why Japan? Why would the _British_ royalty want to attend this school next year?

Ciel blew his bangs from his eyes in agitation. He supposed he would just have to find out what makes this school so special, the queen thought it important enough to send Ciel there. It was a terrible misuse of his skills, however. It was clear the Queen didn't fully trust Ciel, and the Princess didn't believe him capable of the shady black-market dealings he used to put a stop to so often.

Well, Ciel would just have to show them. He would show them that members of the house of Earl Phantomhive were the only truly loyal guard dogs, and not a family to be trifled with. He may be the last, officially and unofficially, but he still had their pride to uphold.

He would check out this school and show them. He should have been content with such a simple task, but he wasn't. It just felt humiliating.

He leaned back and closed his eyes.

He could still remember meeting with the queen only a short while ago.

* * *

><p><em>He was sitting in a carriage, a thick, elegant envelope between his fingers- an invitation. The horse-pulled cart was identical to the one Ciel had grown up with, probably because it was one and the same, perfectly restored and painted elegantly.<em>

_Sebastian drove the cart, as expected. The matched horses whinnied with every crack of the reins. They were running slightly late, and had to hurry. Between the bench and the carriage itself, a curtain separated them. This Ciel pulled aside, wishing to talk with Sebastian._

_"What do you suppose the Princess will say? Isn't she just a commoner?" Ciel asked thoughtfully._

_Sebastian nodded, the corners of his lips turning up slightly. "Why, yes, Bocchan, she is. It's quite unusual for a prince to marry a non-royal, but not unheard of in this day and age."_

_Ciel sighed. "These times are certainly unusual ones," he murmured. Ciel sat back slightly. He had just lost his family, or so it had appeared. Soon as Ciel and Sebastian had returned to Earth, they headed to the old Phantomhive manor. There, Ciel's plan would finally bear fruit._

_After Ciel had 'died', he had been at a loss of what to do. Then, as he had been walking the streets (in disguise, of course. Changing his appearance had been the first thing he had learned) he saw a boy._

_This boy inspired him- and as tragedy struck, Ciel offered him a deal, and he and the boy formed a contract. Wise little Ciel, however, had tactfully worked the conditions of the contract to suit Ciel, not the boy._

_The contract was simple- the boy would pretend to be Ciel._

_Their appearances were very similar, and being the son of the nouveau riche Baron von Aether, he had a certain business-savvy that could only help the Funtom Company. However, after losing all of the fortune when his parents died, he learned to spend frugally, particularly to pay for his sickly sister's medical bills._

_He was moderately clever, and had all of the mannerisms and decorum a figure befitting the Earl's rank should have with minimal training. He would suit Ciel's need's perfectly, and Ciel had just found the perfect way to make the contract span generations._

_It worked because of the mutual gain- before even taking the soul-eating into account, both benefited._

_The boy got the money he needed, and Ciel, so long as the boy and his descendants still ran Funtom Company, could eat their souls as he wished._

_And consume he did- when the first born child reached age 14, Ciel would descend upon the manor and kill the previous holder of the contract, on said child's birthday. Alone, and as good as dead if Ciel chose to re-claim his fortune for himself, a new contract would be formed only moments after the previous had closed._

_And the best part was that no one knew that the Phantomhives were not Phantomhives, and just assumed that the curse remained. A curse he perpetuated himself nowadays. He could make a reappearance whenever he wanted and not seem unduly out of place._

_Then, on the special day of 'Ciel Phantomhive', the Aether descendant named after Ciel himself in accordance with the true Phantomhive's wishes, the demon and his likewise demonic butler returned to earth and struck. This time was different, though._

_This time, the mansion burned, and in the flames, they reveled in the death. Everyone fell before them, the glorious two who killed mercilessly and vengefully, claiming the debt owed. It was a riotous conflagration, and all fell before them indiscriminately as their souls were leached from their bodies._

_Only one concession was made to this- something Ciel indulged himself in doing. The mother and father were delivered to the drawing room, left to burn to death, soulless. Then Ciel Phantomhive waited for Ciel Aether to arrive and see his parents, feel destroyed as Ciel had over a hundred years ago, and then take the boy's own soul for himself._

_Usually, Ciel made a new contract, but not then. Ciel had decided then and there he would re-claim what was his- and the world would be none the wiser._

_Now, Ciel was back in his life of privilege, and this would be the moment of make or break._

_When Ciel had surreptitiously left the Phantomhive name to the Aethers, he had also rescinded his title as the Queen's guard dog with the expectation standing that he would someday reclaim it._

_After the incident involving Ashe/Angela, the Queen knew all about angels and demons. It became a family secret, one of many. Ciel still dropped by every now and then to ensure that the memory and stories of him lived on in infamy amongst the Queens, so he could return to the life he had once lived if he ever felt the need to do so._

_Now he was showing up again to reinstate his title. Life had been drearily boring for him without this. He figured now was as good a time as any, especially with the marriage of the crown prince to the next in succession to Queendom._

_They pulled up to their destination, Ciel peeking once more through the curtain for only a moment. "Take care of the carriage, Sebastian," he ordered, "while I'll slip into the Palace. You know what needs to be done."_

_Sebastian hummed in response, and Ciel darted inside, faster than the blink of an eye._

_Rather than deal with the tedium of clearing who he was with the security detail, he simply slipped inside and avoided them altogether. He shouldn't be here long enough for anyone to really notice, anyway. As for the men standing before the doors, the ones he couldn't avoid altogether, a swift jab to a point in the neck here and there sent each to a land of unconsciousness._

_Was there any guard who could stop him, a mere child? At this, he nearly had to chuckle. As if anyone could be expected to put a stop to him. The concept was inconceivable, laughably so._

_"And I suppose you find it very funny to take out our security?" a woman's voice said._

_Ciel stood up straighter, turning around to find the source of the words. He had to smirk when he found it. "Good afternoon, your majesty."_

_"Good afternoon, Ciel. To what do we owe this... pleasure?" she replied with stuffy distaste. Queen Elizabeth hadn't liked him much. She thought he was overly haughty and full of himself, which he was. She had also long thought it ridiculous that he refused to do anything productive with abilities such as his._

_However, there wasn't much that could be done about it. To anyone who knew him, much to their displeasure, Ciel had more power than anyone. There was no one who could stop him if he grew unhappy. If Ciel didn't want to do something, he simply didn't. He would just disappear for a few years, then return as if nothing had happened._

_That was what had happened last time, when the queen had called him hedonistic and depraved. Sure, it had been true... but Ciel didn't see how that mattered. Then Sebastian made him realize how childish he was behaving, and left him alone in hell as punishment. Which is why he decided to come back for good now, while the timing and situation had never been more perfect._

_He smiled, but it was an empty sort of thing, more a mask than an expression. __"Simple. You know it is that time again. I need to inform dear Princess Catherine of my duties to her, after all." Ciel's tone was detached and disinterested, as if he really didn't care at all. Ciel's acting had certainly improved over the years._

_The Queen's eyes widened in surprise. "Do you mean to say you are resuming your place as Guard Dog?"_

_"Yes, yes," Ciel replied, brushing at the open air with his fingers. "It gets so dreadfully boring. I was thinking of heading Torchwood. That sounds very interesting, and I'm sure I can improve productivity," he ended with a smirk._

_"What is this I hear of Torchwood?" an incredulous voice called, as a woman in an elegant white dress clicked her way over, accompanied by her finely dressed husband._

_Ciel bowed. "The Princess Bride," he murmured formally, looking much the same as Sebastian when he bowed. "Lovely to meet your acquaintance, dear Catherine." The smirk grew more pronounced as the slightly flustered Princess smiled sheepishly._

_As Ciel straightened back up, her smile grew warmer, then pitiful as she noticed the eye patch concealing his eye. "And who might you be?" she mused. Ciel suppressed the urge to grimace at her tone and the obvious attention she was paying to the patch as he continued to smirk._

_"My name is Earl Ciel Phantomhive. We have very important matters to discuss now that you are a member of the royal family." Ciel's tone was again stuffy with formality. "Soon as my butler arrives, we can head off to the drawing room for tea."_

_The Princess's eyebrows rose, as did Prince William's. They had never expected to hear anyone use a tone such as that in front of the reigning monarch, so authoritative, as if he were the one in charge and not the other way around. Even more so was the way the Queen acted, as if she was used to the boy's brusque nature._

_Ciel blinked his one visible, jewel blue eye slowly, letting the iris's dark cobalt pigment shine at the same moment a breeze disturbed the air and ruffled their hair. Ciel smiled again. "Excellent," he said, turning to see the atramentaceous butler standing directly behind him._

_"Tea is ready whenever you are, young lord," Sebastian said, bowing low._

_"Perfect, let us make haste. I still have paperwork to attend to."_

_Surprised as they were by the unassuming boy, they were parched and thoroughly curious as to what he had to say. They allowed him to lead them to their own drawing room as if he had lived there himself._

_Sebastian, the ever capable butler, was quick to fill their open hands with the fine china, and they settled in to talk._

_"Let's not mince words, Elizabeth," Ciel stated plainly, all traces of the former courtesy disappearing behind closed doors. "Have you told Catherine of my exploits or haven't you?" Ciel stared the Queen down, a solid look above knitted fingers resting on his chin._

_The Queen's sigh told him what he needed to know. "No Ciel, I have not informed her yet. I was planning on telling her tonight; I was not aware that you were even going to show up. I had assumed you would be too busy with business, after torching your mansion in such an overdone way. Honestly, was it really necessary to leave the bones of the parents in plain sight?" she asked._

_Ciel chuckled. "Of course it was. If I plan on refabricating the story of my own history to be as accurate as possible, I have to leave no detail unattended. The whole world is to know that the Phantomhive Curse is back with a vengeance, and it is sure to ingratiate the amount of respect I knowingly deserve deep within them. Not to mention it makes keeping my story straight so much simpler..." he mused finally._

_"Ciel... you always were such an unusual character..." the Queen muttered unhappily._

_The obvious looks of confusion, however, still adorned the faces of the newlyweds. The prince, however, didn't seem to enjoy being out of the loop._

_"Would someone care to explain what exactly is going on here?" he growled, irritated._

_Ciel's eye rolled slowly over to the crown prince, a look on his face that spoke of obvious intolerance for falling behind. "All will be explained in due time, William. In the meantime, you should be thankful. Most princes and kings have never even met me."_

_Ciel could be a very patient person when he needed to be, but at the moment he was certainly less than accommodating. He wasn't feeling particularly pleasant, for that matter either. "Now, Catherine, can I be sure of you and your husband's utmost cooperation as has been entrusted to English monarchs for centuries? Can you swear on your graves that every word in this room is not to be shared with anyone?"_

_Kate blinked. She had not expected such a strange turn of events from the enigmatic child. "Of course..."_

_"Excellent. Now, Catherine, what do you know about demons?"_

_...xXx..._

_"I'm telling you, Ciel, I really don't think it's quite suitable for a child to be in charge of something as important as Torchwood. It isn't even supposed to exist, so I don't know how you even know about it," Kate said. Ciel released an irritated huff of air._

_"And I'm telling you, Catherine, that I'm no child. Did you hear anything I said about demons? I'm a hundred and forty-six years old!"_

_They had been at if for nearly half an hour, both almost at each other's throats. Ciel wanted to see the danger and excitement, and the new Princess was hell-bent on keeping him 'safe'. It annoyed him to no end. The others were quickly getting sick of it._

_Then Kate's eyes lit up._

_"What if you proved yourself?" she asked._

_Ciel narrowed his eyes. "I'm listening," he responded slowly._

_"What if you did a simple job for me, and if you do it correctly, then you can do the more dangerous things?" she asked._

_Ciel pretended to think about it. In actuality, he had it all thought out already. He had considered it himself 20 minutes ago after all. But, being the stubborn Phantomhive he was, he had refused to voice the idea. He wanted his old status back immediately, not after proving himself._

_Still... if it got this debate over with... Ciel still looked as if he were giving the idea a lot of thought, but he was now deciding on a plan of attack. It would take a certain amount of tact to twist this back in his favor. But, the ball was in his court now and it was his chance to change the game again._

_"I suppose it would depend on the job at hand. I'm not going to do something completely unreasonable simply for boredom's sake, after all." He sat back and crossed his legs, watching carefully. He didn't particularly like that self-assured smirk._

_"It's a very easy job, I assure you. I just wanted to make sure it was safe for my niece to attend private school next year. She wants to go all the way out to Japan for some reason, and I don't want her to be disappointed or in any danger. Anyone who could handle something as _simple_ as this could surely take care of more dangerous tasks. Not to mention we made do without you for so long, technically you need us more than we need you. You would have no room to say no, else the Phantomhives would lose all respect."_

_Sebastian laughed outright at this. He could see the frustration now written all over Ciel's face at having been backed into a corner. After deep breath, however, Ciel's face slackened into a mask of calm and reason._

_"Of course, Catherine. Why did I not see it before? It would be such a simple task," Ciel said graciously. Sebastian almost applauded. Ciel was becoming very good at acting._

_"So you will do it?" she asked with a smile._

_"Of course, Your Highness," Ciel replied, his tone edged in a condescending hiss. "Of course."_

* * *

><p>"Bocchan, if you aren't careful, you'll be late for school."<p>

Ciel flinched, and looked over at Sebastian. He was startled to find himself looking at the car door held open by his faithful butler.

He quickly realized that during the time when he was lost in thought, Sebastian had already driven him to school. Now, as Ciel sat in the car without moving, a small crowd had already formed, curious about the newcomer in the flashy European sports car.

Ciel looked around and sighed. He wasn't even five minutes into the day and already he was drawing attention. It was not something he had necessarily been expecting, although what he did expect remained to be seen- he had enrolled a week after class had begun after all.

As the surrounding girls tittered, he caught snitches of conversation about him and Sebastian. It irritated him, hearing about how hot Sebastian was, how adorable he was, how cute his boots were, etc., etc. It made him want to kick something. Sebastian was _his_, he was NOT 'adorable', he was NOT wearing girl's boots, and the girls had NO right to have pity on him for having an eye patch. He fumed silently.

"Carry my bag," he huffed irritably, shoving the bag into Sebastian's arms. Sebastian obliged, and stacked the bag on top of his own with a smile. He heard the whispers too, and he was finding it difficult to keep a straight face.

Screams filled the air and hurt Ciel's eardrums. He didn't like how much they seemed to enjoy his accent. As he winced, he resolved to ask Sebastian later what 'moe' was. He had a bad feeling about it.

In the meantime, he looked around the courtyard. What he saw stopped him dead in his tracks. "Is that statue taking a piss in the fountain?" Ciel asked in disbelief. "That's just so... so... gauche!"

"This is Japan, Bocchan. They can be as gauche as they like. Now if we don't hurry, we're sure to be late," Sebastian reprimanded.

Ciel pulled a face. He was just supposed to go to school, no one said anything about being on time.

Sebastian knew Ciel well, though, and wasn't going to tolerate tardiness. So Sebastian did what Sebastian does- he picked Ciel up like a princess and carried him, much to Ciel's chagrin.

Ciel tried to struggle, but Sebastian only picked up the pace. "Bocchan, all of that wiggling will only draw attention to yourself," he murmured, entertained by the growing number of people watching his master's antics. "Settle down and we'll be in and out quickly."

Ciel only growled in response, but still wrapped his arms around Sebastian's neck reluctantly.

"Good Bocchan," Sebastian said, as if addressing a puppy, and all he got in return was a glare for his efforts. They paid no mind to the blond who ran quickly inside and made a beeline for Music Room 3.

* * *

><p><strong>I love Torchwood. And Dr. Who. Basically, I love Captain Jack Harkness. Also, if it were real, then of course Ciel would be fascinated. I hope this explains why Ciel wants to head it up.<strong>

**Shut up D: I'm not crazy!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Heeeerrreee's Johnny! I mean, Chapter 2.**

**Edits: minimal. Basic grammar fixes. Plot/writing might be tweaked on a later date. **

* * *

><p>The new class was the same as the outdoor courtyard. Loud conversations were abundant and grating against his ears, and the furtive glances annoyed Ciel to no end.<p>

Every one of the discussions seemed to be about him, and he didn't understand the fascination the girls seemed to have with him and Sebastian. Well, girls, and a pair of obnoxious-looking twins. They had annoyed Ciel quite a bit as well.

He was getting tired of it, and at the end of class, he finally drooped, leaning against Sebastian not physically exhausted, but mentally. He was glad he had shoved the two desks together the moment they sat down.

"Sebastian, how much more do we have today?" he murmured.

Sebastian ruffled Ciel's hair, knowing the boy's hatred of such a thing and smirking as he earned a half-hearted glare. Girls cooed, further irritating the earl. "Not to worry, young lord. Tea will start soon and then you can relax," he replied soothingly. "For now, just listen to the class representative."

Ciel sighed but obliged, even if he found the speaker to be exceedingly uninteresting and... squirmy. The boy, Kazukiyo Soga Ciel heard his name was, was laughably awkward, but was trying his very hardest to remain calm in front of all of the girls. And... was talking about Ciel? He paid a little more attention at the mention of his name.

"And now we need to pick someone to show Ciel and Sebastian around the campus, since it is their first day," he said, his tone grating on Ciel's sensitive ears as the boy grew more and more stressed. "Would anyone like to volunteer-" Loud screams punctuated this statement, and he was forced to pause as a wave of young women surged around him, arms raised to try and stand out. "Sit! SIT DOWN!" he finally yelled, getting impatient.

"I think we should just pick Haruhi," the soft spoken vice-representative Momoka Kurakano mentioned when the class had settled down again. "Haruhi is always so nice, and it must be scary to transfer to a new school late in the year like this. I'm sure he would help them settle in," she said sweetly.

The class rep blushed as the girl talked to him, but he bobbed his head eagerly nonetheless. It looked to Ciel as if he had a crush on her. He found the notion utterly ridiculous and he went back to ignoring them as they moved onto other, equally trivial topics.

Conversation soon burbled down, to Ciel's pleasure. When he looked around, he was glad to see that students were trickling out of the classroom and let a small smile break out across his face. "Finally, Sebastian," he purred contentedly, sitting slowly back upright. "We can find somewhere to enjoy tea in peace."

"Sorry, Master Ciel, but it seems as if the schedule will not allow for that just yet," Sebastian replied, gesturing to the slim brunette making her way over from the other side of the room, the annoying twins following her step for step.

"Great..." Ciel muttered unhappily.

"Uh, hi. I'm Haruhi Fujioka. You two must be the new students...?" She trailed off, giving them the opportunity to introduce themselves.

"I am Earl Ciel Phantomhive," he replied stuffily.

She smiled in response, and then turned as Sebastian introduced himself as well. Meanwhile, the irksome twins sidled up behind Ciel, so silent that he almost didn't hear them. That took skill. "Soooo~ _Earl _Ciel? That's a fancy title. What's with the eye patch?" they asked bluntly, simultaneously.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Ciel sighed, rolling his solitary eye. "Sebastian, why are these people here?"

"They are here to show you around the school, Bocchan. Perhaps you should have paid more attention to the class rep?" Sebastian said gently, an amused smirk curling the corners of his lips up at Ciel's unhappy expression.

Ciel didn't want a tour of the school, he hardly wanted to be there at all; he just wanted his tea. "Sebastian, you may go on the tour if you so wish. I'll simply stay here until you are finished. And fix me a cup of tea before you go."

Sebastian shook his head at Ciel, chuckling lightly. "How unbecoming of a Phantomhive... You're behaving just like a spoiled brat. No matter, I'll just have to carry you again, Ciel," he said, sliding one arm under the boy's legs and another around the small of his back, cradling the struggling boy close to his chest. "I really am starting to wonder if you're secretly enjoying being carried, Bocchan."

"What? No!" Ciel yelled indignantly.

"Aww, you look so cute!" the twins cooed, squeezing the cheeks of the immobile earl, much to his displeasure, their identical peals of delighted laughter sounding at the furious blush that colored the angry Ciel's now-crimson cheeks.

It was a known and well established fact Ciel disliked when people saw him carried, something that carried back to when he had still been but a human. Perhaps he had grown a little too accustomed to being carried by Sebastian over the years, but that wouldn't change his mindset.

For him, he would always be that dignified earl who refused to be treated like a child, lest his competitors and the rest of the world see him that way. Their respect for him was the only thing that kept them from their pity, and that was one thing he would not tolerate. He did not need their pity like he did their respect.

And yet Sebastian did not set the frustrated Phantomhive down, ignoring his protests and ushering the group out of the room to begin the tour. Sebastian did not tolerate lateness, and it was already time for tea to be underway- butler duties took a certain precedence. Were he to wait for Ciel to amicably consent, there would be no time for much of anything, let alone an enjoyable cup of tea.

* * *

><p>"And this is another library," Haruhi said, gesturing to their left. Through the ajar door, people stood by chatting happily, texting, and, most noticeably, not reading.<p>

Ciel didn't get how a place called a_ school_ got by with its students not even studying when they had ample opportunity. There were at least four libraries, and not a one was silent. Even Ciel, who he himself cared little for studying, realized its importance. He didn't understand what could be so important that girls everywhere were tittering about upcoming 'appointments' etc., etc.

It, however, was an utter mistake to question it, he soon found out; when he asked Haruhi about it, she wigged out completely.

"Uh, they're all in Music Room 3, but you don't want to go in there!" she protested, flailing about like a fish. "As in, you really don't want to go in there. Really, save yourselves before it's too late!"

"Hahaha!" the twins chuckled in abrupt, booming voices. "Bossman's not going to like that!"

"What? Tamaki-Senpai already knows?"

"Of course!" the said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Ciel and Sebastian exchanged a small glance. This back and forth exchange would have mystified anyone not in the loop, and the demonic pair didn't know what exactly was going on.

Haruhi turned to face them with a reluctant frown evident on her face. "Sorry, guys, looks like I was a little too late," she said ruefully. "But don't worry, Tamaki-Senpai can be a little over the top, but he's really not so bad once you get to know him!" she added in response to the looks they gave her, brightening up a little. Her cheeks flushed faintly pink, so pale as to almost be unnoticeable, and a hint of a smile touched her lips as if remembering some fond memory of a time when he had done something particularly amusing.

The twins flashed identical smirks at Ciel and Sebastian, who did nothing more than frown and shake their heads in response. "Come on, you two!" Kaoru began.

"We don't want to keep the prince waiting," Hikaru added.

The twins each placed a hand on one of Sebastian's shoulders and began to steer him down the hall, taking off and leaving Haruhi to chase after them.

Left, up a flight up stairs, down a hall. It was the first door on the right. And when Hikaru and Kaoru grasped either handle of the double doors and pulled them open, they were greeted with a sight familiar to those who had seen before such an occurrence.

Rose petals of glorious red spiraled from the open doorway, and a light shone so brightly for a moment that the demons were temporarily blinded. A chorus of voices chanted a well-rehearsed 'welcome', as if it were something often repeated.

Ciel blinked rapidly, not accustomed to such a bright light, and was surprised to see a giant room set up with tables and couches, girls milling around, and tea everywhere.

The room, though it was every bit as pink as the rest of the building, was themed around a motif of royalty. Several different nationalities and time periods were represented, as well as differing levels of nobility. For instance, what seemed to be a child was garbed in the clothes of a British viscount, reminding Ciel somewhat of a familiar blond viscount he once knew, albeit much shorter. He seemed to have about the same number of adoring women crowding around him, though, as the other had, and seemed to be so absorbed in his cake he hadn't even noticed the new arrivals.

A simply dressed raven-haired boy held the blond up high on his shoulders, silently holding him up high where the girls could croon about how cute they found him. All the better they fawned over him; he seemed like he actually enjoyed it, as opposed to Ciel's grumbling intolerance.

Off to the side, another inky-haired boy was sitting almost alone at a table, scribbling something down in a notebook. He looked quite intelligent to Ciel. Every now and again he would glance down to key numbers into a calculator and nod once, pushing his wire-rimmed glasses a little higher up his nose. This seemed to be the girl's cue to sigh happily. He seemed to be the least dressed up of all them them, nothing but a small crown perched lopsided on his head fitting in with the theme.

Ciel peered back over Sebastian's shoulder, but the twins were nowhere to be seen. Haruhi mouthed another silent 'sorry' to him, suddenly standing up straighter at the return of two obnoxious redheads.

They weren't alone, nor were they still wearing their simple blue suits. These had been replaced by colorful harlequin jester outfits adorned with bells. Their hats jingled merrily with every bouncing step they took, leading a princely-looking blond and bowing low like mocking fools upon their arrival back at the door. Their faces were a powdery white with small upside-down teardrops of black painted below their eyes.

But the blond was clearly the one they had referred to as 'boss' and 'prince'. His outfit was unquestionably the most elaborate, like a French king born into the heart of the 17th century, earlier even than Ciel had been alive. He held a gilded scepter of what looked like real gold but really couldn't based off of the sheer size of the bejeweled globe on the top, a sentiment Ciel attributed to the crown as well from the sheer number of precious and semiprecious gemstones crusting the metal. It surrounded the gold-embroidered velvet peeking out from inside.

"Oh, Haruhi, your dress is here, you just HAVE to wear it!" the kingly figure cried, not paying any attention to the newcomers. Instead, he was busy thrusting a beautiful lacy gown at Haruhi, demanding for her to play as the Marie to his Louis, which she did not take kindly to.

"I told you yesterday, I'm not going to wear that thing!"

"Oh, but daddy wants you to! You'd look so precious!"

"I said no!"

Ciel cleared his throat tersely, catching their attention from the shouting match going on between them. "I would like to point out that Sebastian has yet to put me down and I would very much like some tea, which I don't believe I will be having until your little spat concludes. Could you make this brief?" he hissed through clenched teeth, his one visible eye lidded heavily in an almost sleepy glare.

The tall blond, and Ciel assumed that this was in fact the one oft referred to as Tamaki, turned to face them with a curious expression as if he had only just noticed they were here. His eyes grew abruptly wide to the size of baby blue tea saucers as they looked the pair up and down. An ecstatic grin lit up his features. It was obvious he had had high expectations, and they were not just well met- they were exceeded.

"Oh, so cute!" he cried, running over to them and pinching Ciel's cheeks as the twins had done before. "Renge, you were right!"

"Of course I am!" a female voice shouted out. A loud noise shot through the air, and the grinding of a motor reached their ears. Ciel's eyebrows shot up in surprise as a small platform rose from the floor, a girl with a large pink bow in her dark gold hair standing atop it. She laughed gleefully with a witch-like chuckle that shook her shoulders.

"What are you guys talking about?" Haruhi asked, tilting her head sideways in confusion.

Renge hopped down lightly from her platform, landing on level ground smoothly before answering with a question of her own, a bemused grin on her face. "Didn't they tell you? I could have sworn they did..."

Haruhi shook her head, then wrinkled her nose suddenly. She frowned. "Wait, did everyone know they were coming except for me?" she yelled, turning to the twins.

"Pretty much," Hikaru began.

"I don't think Honey knew..." Kaoru said slowly.

"Oh yeah! Honey doesn't know," Hikaru replied cheerfully. "But yeah, pretty much."

"If I may interject, what the _hell _is going on?" Ciel growled calmly, but with an underlying edge of pervasive irritation that was unmistakable.

The whole time this argument had been going on, Ciel had been growing silently more and more irritable while the small smile on Sebastian's face had only widened. It was obvious to him that Ciel had awoken on the wrong side of the bed, and it amused him quite a bit. In fact, truth be told, Sebastian particularly enjoyed baiting the boy, and so these diversions were particularly entertaining for him. Even when Ciel had growled a vicious 'put me down', he still found it funny.

Tamaki turned to look back at him from where he had been begging Kyouya to help convince Haruhi to wear the dress, and smiled broadly, drawing a rosebud seemingly from thin air. "Ciel, meet the Host Club," he said simply, gesturing slowly to each of the members and effectively ending any and all conversation. "Host Club, Ciel and Sebastian."

* * *

><p>"No."<p>

"But why not?" Tamaki begged.

"It doesn't interest me..." Ciel said offhandidly.

They'd been debating this point for the better side of nearly ten minutes. Ciel didn't seem to understand why Tamaki seemed so hell-bent on having him join his silly little club, and likewise could Tamaki not understand why Ciel didn't want to join.

"But what man doesn't wish to make women happy? It is the greatest joy, the sole task of a young debonair youth such as you or I! How could you not wish to join?" Tamaki protested. "These refined ladies deserve the beauty of such things the Host Club provides; it's a service to the world! Why would one put art in a museum, if not to share its wonder?"

Ciel closed his single eye in frustration, a grimace crossing his expression like a quick flash that left only the remains of a stiff, straight face. He switched the leg he had crossed over the other, setting his right on the floor and laying his left demurely over the knee. His fingers knitted together beneath his chin. A solitary blue orb re-opened slowly.

This was not going well. Negotiations were always tedious in his mind, and when he had to deal with people nearly as obstinate as he, it made them that much worse. Sebastian was more likely than not his only hope in escaping. Now if Ciel could get him to do more than pour him a much-need cup of tea...

"Perhaps it is merely a desire to hoard such wonders to oneself," he murmured in response, his voice as calm as his expression had become. "Are you trying to keep these women close in order to stroke your greatly exaggerated ego, or are your intentions as pure as you insinuate? I'm beginning to wonder what your true purpose is. Surely these prattling females squealing about every little thing you do has given you a swelled head?"

A blink of the eye revealed Tamaki's disappearing act, and Ciel found himself glancing around the room in surprise. '_How do people here seem to move so unnaturally fast?' _he wondered.

The girls that had been sitting beside Tamaki before he had vanished both pointed towards the left, as if accustomed to such disappearances. Ciel looked in the direction their index fingers indicated, and his brows furrowed deeply is confusion as he took in the unusual sight. The finely garbed blond was huddled in the corner, curled in on himself and sulking. A grey cast backlit his features like a dark mist; coalesced shadows accentuated his sudden depression. He looked anything but princely.

Ciel's fingers pinched the bridge of his nose impatiently. How old was this blond again? He looked back up at the girls, only to find that they had left to comfort the arrogant, conceited blond.

"Young lord, someone wishes to meet with you," Sebastian said, suddenly appearing at Ciel's shoulder from wherever he had happened to vanish. Unfazed by the abrupt ingression, Ciel looked up from the corner of his eye to glare mercilessly at the blue-suited butler.

"And where have you been?" Ciel said in a low susurration. His sapphire eye glowered and his face was dour.

"Taking care of this and that, dear bocchan," Sebastian replied simply. "Word regarding the status of the Funtom company factories has come from London, and I have been preparing you the dessert you requested. I've been likewise occupied by a young man who requested he see you regarding your joining his club."

Ciel rolled his eye. "Does everyone here want me to join some organization or another?" he asked scathingly, giving Sebastian a reproachful look.

"At least he had the courtesy to give you some semblance of forewarning."

"That he did. I'll meet with him," Ciel replied curtly, waving Sebastian away to retrieve his new guest.

"Ciel, he would prefer you to come to him," Sebastian said, gesturing behind him.

Ciel stood slowly, uncrossing his legs and rising up from the plush sofa to turn and face the back wall Sebastian had indicated. His brow furrowed in confusion. Had that door always been there? Ciel could distinctly remember that particular wall being void of any decorations, not withstanding the garish pink paint that seemed to cover every wall.

But now, a door stood faintly open, a small crack leaking darkness into the otherwise well-lit room. Black roses wound around the frame, and a boy with a wig of jet-black hair peered out from below a deep violet cloak. One hand held a lit candelabra, the other a creepy little cat hand puppet.

"Don't talk to that guy, Ciel," a hushed voice whispered to him. Ciel glanced out of the corner of his eye, seeing the blond kneeling on the sofa next to where the young earl had previously sat. His eyes were staring forward at the malevolent door, a look of fear ghosting along his features. "He's eviiillllll." The word was dragged out into a long hiss.

Ciel chuckled. "I doubt I have much to worry about," he said with an amused lilt to his tone. He and Sebastian shared a small, knowing look as if they shared some private joke lost on the others. He skirted the sofa and walked over to the door, several onlookers watching curiously.

Eyes popped out of their sockets when the violet-cloaked Nekozawa dropped prostrate to his knees in laudation. "My lord of darkness," he cried with all of the devotion of a fervent believer of some satanic ritual, some pagan religion lost to civilization from times gone by. Ciel blinked in surprise, while Sebastian chuckled, taking his place standing behind Ciel's left shoulder. "May I say that it's an honor!"

"Ciel, what's he talking about?" Tamaki whispered.

Ciel chuckled quietly, faintly amused though his lip1s hardly twisted into the grin that should have accompanied the sound. "And what club would this be?" he asked the supine boy before him, ignoring Tamaki.

A dark smile grew on Nekozawa's face as the boy scrambled back into a standing position. "Why, it's the dark magic club. Join today and receive a free belzenef doll!"

"Dark magic," Ciel muttered unhappily. He looked at the doll and his frown deepened. "And cats. That'd be a no," he finished demurely, turning away from both club leaders. "I don't believe I will be joining any clubs."

"I'm sure you could find a club somewhere at this school you'd like," Haruhi suggested. "You just have to look."

Ciel cocked his head to the side. "If that were true, why did you join this one? You're obviously a girl, yet you wear a boy's uniform and run around with womanizing pranksters-" the statement was cut off by two hands overlapping over his mouth.

"What are you talking about? Haruhi's the manliest man in the whole host club!" the twins proclaimed loudly, displaying yet again their uncanny knack for popping up out of nowhere. They dragged him away to Kyouya's table, shooing the few girls from earshot before saying any more. "How did you figure out Haruhi's a girl?" they hissed.

Ciel glowered at them. "It's fairly obvious, now let me go."

They didn't seem to hear him. "He knew Haruhi's secret-" "-has to join now-" "-very likely-" they whispered back and forth to each other, watching Ciel from the corners of their eyes and covering their mouths with their hands as if it made their conversation more secretive.

"I'm not joining your silly club."

"I think you'll find this is more than a silly club; we take it, as well as our members, very seriously," Kyouya informed him, talking over the still-whispering twins. He hadn't yet looked up from his notebook. "If we believe one of our members is in any danger, then we take any steps possible to defend them. We are very close knit, much like a family in that respect."

Ciel only harrumphed at this remark, clearly not believing in it. Families didn't last; they never did in the end. They only fell apart.

"Perhaps it would do you well to join this little family, Master Ciel. Isn't your assignment to determine what sort of experience Katherine's niece will have when she comes here?" Sebastian pointed out.

Ciel glared at him. "That doesn't necessarily mean I have to join this club, Sebastian, you know as well as I what my mission entails," he retorted smoothly. The smallest of pouts crossed his lips in his displeasure.

The butler only smiled wryly at him. "That I do, bocchan. He'd love to join," Sebastian announced to the other members. A cheer rose from the twins, and Kyouya cracked a small, self-satisfied smile. Tamaki, hearing this declaration from across the room, ran up to them with a massive grin.

"Really? You'll join?" he asked, almost in disbelief.

"I never said I would-" Ciel began, but he was swiftly cut off by Sebastian.

"Of course he will," the butler said, his voice hinted with a note of finality. "Starting today, Master Ciel, you are a host!"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter question: Why you no review? *SadfaceSadfaceSadface*<strong>

**That's my attempt at the texting vernacular. A valiant effort, I'm aware. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Dedicated to Paxloria **

**Edits: minimal. Grammar conventions, mostly.**

* * *

><p>Ah, cake. That most succulent of substances, so light and fluffy and decorated with delicate frostings and fruits. And then the strawberries. Oh, how he loved strawberries. Every nibble of its seeded red flesh tantalized his tongue and sent him to another galaxy where all was cute and wonderful.<p>

He speared another of the berries on his fork, taking a gleeful bite to the delight of the women around him. When he murmured his delight, they did too. He glanced around, batting massive sepia-toned eyes to take in the scene around him, a smile bright as the sun on his face. Easily delighted, that was Honey.

But there weren't as many girls around him today, and that tugged the smile downward. That was strange. He usually had around five or six watching him eat cake right now, and there were only three. He glanced up at his friend and cousin, the exceedingly tall Mori. "Where is everyone?" he asked in his light voice. He chewed absently on the tines of the fork.

"New members," Mori stated plainly, never one to say more than was absolutely necessary.

"What? Nobody told me about any new members!" Honey simpered pitifully, his eyes welling with tears. "Nobody ever tells me anything."

"Introduce yourself," Mori suggested.

Honey's face lit up, all trace of the tears now gone. The smile was back. "Great idea!" he cried happily. "Bye ladies! I'm going to say hello!"

He hopped lightly from the chair as the girls responded with calls of, 'bye, Honey!' with a small frown still trying to tug at the corner of his lip. 'Nobody ever tells me anything', he thought sulkily.

* * *

><p>Ciel soon found himself seated in the center of a massive sofa with girls taking all other places around him.<p>

That wasn't so bad, though, right? Actually, yes, it was. To Ciel, this was pure torture. They were just like Lizzie. They were loud, giggly, and worst of all kept trying to dress him up in silly costumes eerily similar to what he wore while he was human. And the girls were annoying too.

It seemed as though everyone either wanted to know or already knew his entire life story, the girls as the former. Still a bit of a sore spot for Ciel even after all these centuries, he found himself avoiding their questions. But the girls were unfortunately persistent, trying even Ciel's vast reservoir of patience.

And he was exhausted. Sebastian had been right, it hadn't been a good idea to so drastically change his appearance as quickly as he had, making him look several years older nearly overnight. It was supposed to be a slow process, after all, and it had taken a lot out of him to do otherwise. Demon powers took a lot of work to manipulate.

So, with the well-practiced grace his earldom and his age had granted, he fended them all off whilst fighting exhaustion. The tea helped quite a bit at that, and he was almost certain that a slice of cake would take the edge off as well. Pity the cake came with a whole new set of problems, namely the petite blond boy with eyes as chocolaty sweet as his name might imply.

"Hiya! My name's Honey!" the boy said delightedly. "What's your name?"

Ciel jumped in surprise at the new voice, still not accustomed to the preternatural ability of appearing quickly and silently it seemed everyone here possessed. He glowered and took another sip of his drink, trying to brush the shock off as nothing. "I am Ciel Phantomhive," he replied finally.

"So, Ciel-Chan, would you like to hold Usa-Chan?" Honey asked, pressing on with little credence for typical formalities.

The demon initially gave the violet rabbit plushy a disdainful glance, but a glimpse at the tag had Ciel taking a second, much closer look. "Is that a Funtom product?" he asked in surprise.

"Yeah! I got it on a trip to England when I was little. Don't you like it?" Honey batted his round eyes innocently.

"How did you know where Honey-Senpai got his toy, Ciel?" one girl asked.

"Didn't you know? Earl Phantomhive is the owner of Funtom Company. In fact, it's been in his family for well over a hundred years," Sebastian mentioned.

Ciel hummed lightly in assent. "Really? That's so cool!" Honey cried.

"I didn't know that," another of the girls babbled. "I remember visiting one of Funtom's stores on my last trip to Europe. Are you planning on opening any shops here in Japan?"

Sebastian brushed back into the conversation neatly, interrupting whatever statement Ciel had been planning on making as the demon poured his master a fresh cup of tea. "Master Ciel is considering such a thing but is not at this time at liberty to say with absolute certainty. He is in charge of each sister branch of Funtom Company and as such already has quite a bit on his plate already. Perhaps in a few months, when things have settled down a little, he will."

Ciel scowled. "That reminds me Sebastian, what happened to those documents you were supposed to fetch for me? And the cake I requested you make. Where it that?" he asked irritably.

"My apologies, Ciel. I will fetch them immediately," Sebastian replied with his signature smirk. He gave a low, curt bow and retreated.

As Sebastian vanished from sight, the girls began their question and answer session with Ciel again in full force. Honey was momentarily forgotten, to his irritation, and went back to his table to finish eating cake. "So, Ciel, how do you and Sebastian know each other?"

"Sebastian is my butler and is in the service of my family," Ciel said simply.

Several eyebrows rose in surprise. "I thought he was a student!","But you two seem so close! Much closer than a servant would normally be, anyway.", "Has he been your butler for long?" the girls tittered.

Ciel smirked quietly to himself. These questions were easy, and amusing. "Yes, you could say that. And sometimes, it feels even longer." Try over a hundred years.

"Are you two sharing a type? You know, Servant and Master?"

This one gave him pause. "What do you mean, type? What are you talking about?" he demanded, using the tone he usually reserved for when he was confused and wasn't particularly happy about it.

Laughter that was already growing familiar to Ciel could be heard again, echoing through the room with the sound of an engine groaning in the background. A portion of the floor, a different one this time as if it were positioning itself closer to the main action, rose up, revealing again the blonde known as Renge.

"How can someone survive without properly understanding the beauty and magic of knowing one's type?" she cried dramatically, clutching at her chest as though the outpouring of emotion was planning on launching her heart out of her chest if she didn't keep it in check. "For a host club, it's practically the most important thing!"

"What's the matter, Renge?" Tamaki asked, walking over with concern on his face. He knew as well as most- that Renge appearing could mean something important was going on with the host club.

"You haven't assigned Ciel a type yet!" she accused, jabbing a finger at him. "And I thought I trained you better."

He gave a carefree laugh in response, flipping his hair so he'd be surrounded by cooing girls and glitter Ciel could swear hadn't been there before. "Why don't you just give him one? You do know best," he said, flattering her.

She seemed mollified, but only just so. "You're right, I do! Now let's see what I have to work with... Hey, where's Sebastian gone?"

"He's gone to retrieve some things I requested of him, but he should be back right about..." A breeze tugged at Ciel's hair, and he let his speech drop off with a wry smirk. "Now. What took you so long, Sebastian?"

"My apologizes, young master. I still had to finish the cake's white chocolate glaze and then I was forced to run back to the manor to retrieve the papers you needed, since you left them on your desk last evening. I didn't have time between drawing your bath and ironing your attire for today to pack them up as I should have. The other servants are most unhelpful."

Ciel brushed his fingers across the open air as if to say 'that's enough'. "I don't care for your excuses. I would, however, like a slice of dessert. Get on that, Sebastian."

"Right away, young lord," Sebastian replied dutifully, placing a generous slice of moist, white cake on a beautiful plate that matched Ciel's azure teacup. "Enjoy."

The two payed no mind to the continuation of excited girls; they were still whispering about Ciel and Sebastian, of course, musing about how skilled and handsome a butler Sebastian was, as well as how cute it was that they were so utterly comfortable with each other. It was obvious they wanted to see the two together.

Ciel, of course, rolled his eyes, but saw it easiest to indulge the girls just a little bit in the hopes that they would ease up on their furious muttering. "Now, Sebastian, sit down," Ciel ordered.

Sebastian obliged with a gentle, "Of course," as he joined the still-diminutive master on the expansive couch. It ended up having the opposite effect, setting them off even more. Girls rearranged themselves so the two would be seated beside each other, pressed up against one another due to a shortness of space.

Several had seen Sebastian carrying the protesting Ciel already and a couple rumors had already spread like wildfire amongst the giggling, yaoi/moe/romance-obsessed female students. They were already popular with minimal effort, and Ciel wasn't particularly pleased by this turn of events. He hadn't expected to draw near this much attention with his arrival.

"Sebas-chan?" one girl piped up immediately. "Do you always do as Ciel-chan asks?"

"I am Ciel's most loyal and trusted assistant. If I couldn't do everything he asked of me, then what sort of butler would I be?"

Ciel harrumphed. "He wouldn't be, what was it you say, Sebastian? 'One hell of a butler'?"

"Of course, Master Ciel. I am simply one hell of a butler. But of course, I only act as befits one of Lord Phantomhive's servants," Sebastian said, turning to look at the girl (who sat on Ciel's other side). She squealed and buried her face in her hands. Ciel wrinkled his nose, receiving an almost affectionately chastising hair-ruffle from Sebastian. "Don't contort your face that way, young master. It could stick that way and then what will we do with you?"

"You would join Claude," Ciel said seriously, glaring. "And I'm sure you know how well that turned out for all of us."

"If you remember correctly, that ended fairly well for you in the end. It was really only less than pleasant for everyone else. And, of course, me, to a lesser extent."

Ciel sneered at him. "Semantics. The details aren't hardly important."

"As you wish," Sebastian said simply, but the hand never left Ciel's blue locks.

"This makes it very easy!" Renge cried. Everyone jumped in surprise, not noticing that usually loud manager had been listening to the exchange carefully. "At first I thought that the two would both be mysterious, since both are so private and 'mysterious'! But now, I've got it! The two of you are Servant and Master!"

Everyone listened close as she continued to explain.

"Transcending the usual bonds of caste, the 'Servant' and 'Master' characters have an undeniable bond with each other that they cannot hope to deny! They may keep face in public, but in private, there's certainly more to the story. We can only hope they accidentally let slip some of that secret life to prove to us that they are truly perfect for one another!" Cries of 'moeeeee' filled the air in response to this, exclusively from the female clients, as Ciel would soon come to realize they were.

"Just what do you suppose she means by that?" Ciel mused.

Sebastian only chuckled lightly. "It sounds as though they believe there is more to us than a simple master/butler relationship."

"There's nothing going on between my butler and I!" Ciel yelled over the noise. To his dismay, he was ignored. He was never ignored.

Indignantly, he stamped his foot and stood, stalking over to the least-inhabited area of the room in search of reprieve. If he didn't relocate, he knew it'd only be a matter of time before he was angered enough to do something he'd regret. The girls were chatting so excitedly with Renge that they hadn't yet noticed him slipping away. Sebastian, however, had, and followed him.

Ciel took a seat beside Kyouya and glowered at Sebastian until the older demon pushed his chair in for him. Papers were slid before him, and he realized that they were the business documents he wanted. Now that he had them, work was suddenly looking much less attractive. He glowered at the documents, too, fuming in silence.

"You shouldn't say such thing to the young ladies, you know. It makes my job so much more difficult."

Ciel glanced up at the dark-haired youth beside him, disgruntled. "Is that so?"

"That it is."

Kyouya tapped for a short while on a fancy-looking calculator, writing down the numbers in an elegant black book before continuing. Curious, Ciel glanced at the book, but the angle made it impossible to decipher the neat script. His nose twitched irritably.

"Let me put this into terms I'm sure you can relate to," Kyouya said finally. "This host club is very much a business, and I'm sure you're fairly familiar with that. I've done a little digging, and it would seem that you've spent the last several months running the Funtom Company entirely on your own. During that time, you've made several highly profitable gambles that others would have called madness and rose Funtom to a peak in sales it hasn't seen in perhaps a hundred years. You have remarkable tact for the business world, and know what is necessary to make a business not only stay afloat, but prosper."

Ciel nodded as though none of this was news to him, and it wasn't. Kyouya was preaching to the choir. He tried to keep the suspicion off his face, however, at the casual way that the boy recited all of this information, so easily off the top of his head that it made Ciel a little leery. He didn't like others knowing more about him than he knew of them.

"Likewise, we take advantage of each member's specific qualities and work them to our favor- that being to keep the girls interested and buying official host club merchandise. Renge, being an incurable otaku herself, knows better than most what would attract our customers' attentions. We can't force you to do as she says, but I'm sure that between our many customers, as well as your new fellow hosts, you'll see things as she does." Kyouya gave a small laugh, as though what he was saying was meant to be taken lightly, but the obvious gleam in his eyes belied this.

"Would I be to presumptuous, bocchan, in inferring that he means to say put on a show for the ladies?" Sebastian asked delicately from where he stood behind Ciel.

"Not at all. In fact, that is precisely what I am implying. Take a look at the Hitachiin brothers, for instance," Kyouya replied, gesturing to the twin redheads who clung to each other, much to the adoration of several surrounding fans. "This is known as fanservice. We are simply taking what the girls want, and giving it to them. Homosexuality is a very popular act in the host club, and the incestuous taboo makes it more exciting for the girls. Hikaru and Kaoru are glad to provide it."

"I'm not going to 'put on a show' with my butler!" Ciel fumed.

"Ah, but you already have several times today, if unwittingly. My sources, one of which being the prince, Tamaki, himself, inform me of how often you are carried around by Sebastian. The fact that he is likewise a student would make the situation even easier to manage. It puts the two of you closer, and, as I believe Renge said, 'transcend your caste', or however she put it."

Ciel massaged his temples. "I'm not having this conversation."

"Act like a child all you like, it only makes things better for me," Kyouya added bluntly. "It adds to the 'shotacon cuteness' you already possess and makes you a bigger target. I daresay if you keep it up, Honey will get jealous of the attention. He does have the boy-lolita category cornered, and doesn't like it when others encroach on it. Profits could very well go up thanks to you, especially if you continue to keep this act up."

Ciel's head thumped on the table and he let out a low growl of irritation.

"I'm sure you'll get used to it soon enough," Kyouya finished lightly, turning around in his chair to beckon to the brunette host a few tables away. "Haruhi, I'd like for you to introduce Ciel and Sebastian to our clients and then sit them beside Tamaki. He can better explain what they are supposed to be doing. He's the prince, and he has the highest request rate."

"And what will you be doing?" Ciel asked indignantly as Haruhi walked up to them.

"I have managerial and fiscal duties to attend to. The budget won't run itself, you know, and our finances are always in flux. By the way, I hope you enjoy cosplay, since it is one of Prince Tamaki's favorite pastimes."

To Ciel's bitter chagrin, his chair was slid back from the table and he was picked up by Sebastian. His butler's icy hands closed around his torso, slipping easily under his arms to lift the irritable and reluctant boy into the air. Sebastian held him close, clutching Ciel to his chest so one hand could slide under Ciel's knees in order to better hold the boy.

Satisfied that the now-flushing master wouldn't wriggle free from his grip, Sebastian set off at a brisk pace to follow the brunette Ciel was quickly coming to dislike.

To be fair, though, he hated that slimy Kyouya much more. It was obvious who was really in charge in this host club, and it certainly wasn't the emotional blonde 'prince'. Haruhi looked like she (he?) was just along for the ride, for whatever reason.

"Tell me, Haruhi, why are you a member of this club?" he asked as they walked. Well, Sebastian and Haruhi walked. Ciel was still aloft in the air, and had long since given up fidgeting since he knew Sebastian would never drop him.

She turned to look at him, and he wondered how anyone could possibly think she was a boy. Her blinking brown eyes were far too large and thickly-lashed to ever fit a male's face, and her frame was much too slim to ever be called masculine. Of course, he had once disguised himself as a girl with a scary ease, so he really had no place to judge. People could be easily fooled, that was how. They tended to believe what they thought was the truth.

"I accidentally broke a vase on my first day, and I couldn't afford to replace it. I'm paying off my debt by hosting," she said casually.

"Why do you host, though? Surely there are other ways of paying these idiots back without working for them?"

She laughed. "They are idiots, but they're my idiot friends. I really don't mind hanging out with them. Plus, they're alright once you get to know them. It's like Kyouya said- you'll get used to it all soon." Her voice was very nice as she said this, as though she genuinely meant it. Very unlike Kyouya, Ciel thought scathingly.

"That still doesn't explain why you dress like a boy when you clearly aren't one. Are all of the girls here so easily fooled?"

"It's just easier this way. I really don't mind, and it lets me pay off my debt faster. Oh, Tamaki. Here you are. Kyouya-senpai said you could explain hosting to them, since you're the best," she explained with a smile on her face. Ciel groaned internally. He was back in the huge clusterfuck mess he had only just left, and now fuel was being added to the fire as girls 'sqee'd' at his position in Sebastian's arms.

"Being carried like a princess!","So cute!","Look at his blush! Adorable!" Ciel gnashed his teeth.

"Calm down, bocchan. You'll never make new friends if you're angry all the time," Sebastian said mockingly.

"Ciel! Sebastian! It's excellent to see you! I had almost forgotten that you still don't know what you're supposed to do!" Tamaki said, sounding eerily delighted and looking just as happy, with his fingertips intertwined and a grin on his face.

"I'll just leave you two to it," Haruhi said with a smile, leaving Ciel to deal with the manic blond alone. He grimaced. Hosting lessons from a mentally unbalanced 'prince'. This'd be a day he wouldn't forget for a while, no matter how hard he tried.

As if sensing his thoughts, Sebastian offered Ciel an almost comforting smile. He sighed and let his head tip backwards, lax, before rolling it along his shoulders back into position. "Sebastian, I believe I will need another slice of that cake. Now, if possible."

* * *

><p>The day passed tortuously slowly, as if progressing at a snail's pace expressly for the purpose of taunting Ciel.<p>

A lot more went into being a host than Ciel had ever thought, not that he put much thought into it before now. But it was a lot of work, of which he wasn't particularly happy about. Just what he needed. More work to do.

His plate was already full. He had shouldered the family business the moment he reclaimed his name and title, and as Kyouya had mentioned, already had it prospering with risky gambles that really weren't so risky to Ciel- a hundred years of watching the market and a little bit of regional testing instituted the moment he returned had done the business well. Of course, Funtom had been in the doldrums of big business, so it hadn't taken much. There really was nobody like a Phantomhive for running things, and those impostors (he shuddered to call them Phantomhives) had barely kept things running.

It took a firm, calculating hand of the sort that came from a manipulative Phantomhive to really prosper. He likened it to a game. Funny how all of life can be summed up in games, and Ciel enjoyed games. They made for excellent practice and a way to trounce others in a way that they never took seriously. What they failed to understand was that playing the game was how Ciel figured people out.

But that didn't make him any less busy. Work was, well, a lot of work. And it was plainly obvious that most of the other students were expected to have little else to do, because the amount of homework assigned that very evening was unthinkable.

Lessons with Tamaki also lasted well beyond what they should have- in fact, he kept sharing his little nuggets of wisdom long after the girls had left. That could be because he kept getting distracted while trying to educate Ciel and Sebastian on hosting. He'd stop explaining for a moment to demonstrate on one of the girls exactly what he meant, and he'd continue to 'demonstrate' for longer than was necessary. But if Tamaki wanted to spend pointless hours doing almost nothing, it appeared that it was the prince's own prerogative. There wasn't anything Ciel could do, regardless.

Something in the way that the host club was run gave him little to no power whatsoever. Tamaki's word, foolish though it may be, was law.

He had learned a little, though. Sebastian had even written down what he thought necessary, so that Ciel could go back and re-read the lesson when he was in a better mood and didn't have as much business clotting his mind. He also knew that Ciel would try and deny that it was ever said, so it was for insurance purposes as well.

Sebastian liked to think that Ciel would get around to following the rules eventually, but it would take a while. He knew his young master. The boy was stubborn, but that boy was also his Bocchan. It didn't matter if he was as stubborn as an ass, so long as he was in charge. It'd just take some time.

By the time the girls had all gone, Sebastian had acquired a nice list. Each of the hosts had something to contribute to Ciel's hosting, and dumped enough information on him to drown the boy. This was the condensed version of that list- neatly organized of course.

Rules of Hosting:

~Be polite~  
>~Smile. Always smile~<br>~Compliment the girls often~  
>~Fanservice makes for happy clients~<br>~Cosplay is to be worn with the rest of the club~  
>~No complaining in front of clients unless it is fanservice~<br>~Share with the girls. They like hearing about your life~  
>~Don't bore the ladies. Always keep it interesting~<br>~Don't act like a robot- show emotions~  
>~Fake it till you make it~<br>~Just act natural~

Most of the best points had been formed off of Haruhi's little speech to Ciel before he left for the day. Sebastian was amused by the girl, if only because she gave the most logical advice. She was clearly the only sane one there. Other advice had been completely crazy. Honey had told him to eat lots of cake, while the twins told Ciel to ham it up and be over-dramatic. Tamaki himself had taken Ciel in his guiding hand, however, and was planning another big cosplay event for the Friday- and Ciel was to wear a costume. Perhaps point number 5 had already gotten to Ciel... Of course not.

Ciel had protested, which had been funny but ineffectual. He had conceded only after the twins made a valid point- that he'd end up dressed up eventually, why not do it voluntarily, rather than being forced? Ciel hadn't liked the mischievous gleam in their eyes as they said this. It was almost threatening in a way. It didn't help Ciel'd case, though, when Tamaki had announced that tomorrow was more royal cosplay, and the girls had also pressured Ciel. As it turns out, a mob of very excited girls hoping to see an adorable earl in 20th century earl cosplay is a force to be reckoned with.

Ciel could only hope that nothing came of it. When he finally returned for the day, he had relaxed into a stiff, throne-like chair that was an exact replica of the one he used to use. Ciel was nothing if not a creature of comfort, and liked his old things around him regardless of the time's passage. In fact, he had his manor rebuilt again in exactly the same way it had looked while he was growing up, and then had Sebastian take the liberty of building a second, identical copy in Japan. He was Ciel Phantomhive. He'd live in his manor, not some apartment.

"Sebastian, draw my bath," Ciel said tiredly, letting his weary limbs settle deep into the chair.

"Of course, my lord," Sebastian replied. He whisked out of the room, leaving Ciel alone and to his thoughts.

Today had been hectic, chaotic even, and Ciel was exhausted enough already. A red-eye flight, manipulating mass amounts of demon energies, and culture shock of going from languishing in _Hell_ of all places to the Land of the Rising Sun, Japan could take it out of anyone. And then Ciel, a boy who had been privately tutored exclusively, had to go to school. Sebastian wasn't surprised the boy was nearly dead on his feet. He could be allowed a little bit of the bad attitude he's had today.

When the bath steamed and frothed gently (Ciel had allowed just a few concessions to be made to bring his old manor into modernity, namely the many comforts people nowadays were used to. The nice, new bathtub with modern plumbing and massage jets in place of the old basin was a prime example), Ciel allowed Sebastian to undress him and settled into the bath. He let his mind drift away on a cloud of sweetly scented bubbles as Sebastian ran a warm, sudsy cloth along his body. It was a thoughtless thing- something Ciel was completely and utterly used to at this point. It was no longer awkward for boy or butler.

He closed his eyes and relaxed. The bath felt fabulous- the jets scalded and roiled pleasurably along his fair skin, and the cloth was just rough enough to chafe pleasantly and leave behind a stream of foam yet soft enough that it didn't irritate the sensitive, goose-pimpled flesh. But all the comfort in the world couldn't let Ciel forget what was in store for him. He let out a small groan.

Tomorrow would be hell, figuratively of course. Hell wasn't actually that bad once you got past the occasional wailing of the damned. He glanced up suddenly from his daze, glaring intently at the slowly dispersing bubbles. A thought had occurred to him- if you don't want to join them, then beat them at their own game. "Sebastian, I have an order. Find out all of the information you can on the members of the host club. I won't be outdone."

"Yes, Ciel."

"And Sebastian?"

"Yes, Ciel?"

"I'll also need you to do my homework. I most certainly am not doing it myself."

* * *

><p><strong>Question: What sort of shows do you watch (yes, you can include anime on that list), and which of them would you enjoy crossing over with Kuroshitsuji if I somehow were able to finish this fic and start a sequel? Personally, I think Vampire Knight or Loveless would make for an interesting sequel (even just a one-shot) based off of the ending I have planned for this story, but I wouldn't mind some input from you guys.<strong>

**Even those of you reading this for the first time, feel free to say something. Seriously, you can review now and keep going. Nobody will mind. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Nobody dare hate on Lizzy. I see lots of Lizzy-bashing from SebaCiel fans and I can tell they've never read the manga. Seriously. It all makes perfect sense if you do. She's a freaking badass, is what she is. Just look up the zombie arc.**

**Edits: super minimal**

* * *

><p>Time passed grudgingly slowly for the demons, but it didn't take long for Ciel to settle into a routine. As usual, Ciel stubbornly avoided his homework, the girls were stubbornly persisting in questioning him (and still getting nowhere in choosing the worst possible questions), and then the rest of the host club stubbornly insisted on cosplay. It was beginning to grow into a fight to see just who would give in first. Ciel, for all his inestimable patience, was losing against the determination of people he was beginning to consider as even more inhuman than he.<p>

For instance, it had been a Thursday in which Ciel had relented on one account, the questioning, when one girl asked a particularly noteworthy question of him. It had made the interrogation-weary Ciel think much deeper than he would have otherwise.

"Have you ever fallen in love with anyone?" Such a simple question from such an unremarkable girl had somehow managed to worm its way deep into Ciel with poignant barbs. Had he ever fallen in love? Had he really?

His eyes clouded over, darkening in deep thought as he contemplated Elizabeth for the first time in over a century. Lizzie, that little blonde-haired girl who only wanted everything to be cute. She only wanted what was best for everyone. Sure, she had driven him nearly insane on that quest, but she meant well. She was also perhaps one of the first people he had learned to, dare he say, love after the events that drove him to make the Faustian contract. She tried so hard.

Where was she now? Had she reached heaven, if it existed? Someone like her wouldn't have gone to hell of course. Of that Ciel was fairly certain. Was she happy, wherever she was? At peace with herself? Maybe she knew now that Ciel was a demon... Perhaps she knew Ciel's soul would never join hers. He was with Sebastian now, with Sebastian for all eternity.

But she wasn't alone, at least. There was a good chance she would be with the others, the servants, the family he had lost, the people he had once known. And Ciel wasn't exactly alone either. He did have Sebastian, his butler, the demon who-

"Ciel?" the girl asked him, tilting her head in worry. The single word interrupted his thoughts and dragged him back to the present. He cleared his throat awkwardly. His thoughts were taking turns he didn't necessarily care to think about.

"Once upon a time, I might have been..." he mentioned quietly. "I was once betrothed, but... not any more. She's dead now." He glanced unconsciously at Sebastian, who offered him an amused smirk in response to those blunt words.

Amongst the girls, there was a sharp, collective intake of breath. His teeth clattered against the china as it jostled in surprise, the tea he had been about to sip sloshing lightly down his front. Did they actually seem saddened? They didn't even know Lizzie! They technically had no right to be so upset. Ciel glared at the shimmery, nearly transparent surface of his tea in a huff, though the liquid was unpleasantly warm against his skin where it had soaked into his suit.

"Young Master, you appear to have spilled. How clumsy of you," Sebastian said lightly, reaching down with a silken handkerchief to daub at the boy's chest.

"What- what happened to her?" another girl piped, though the others were thoroughly distracted by the butler's proximity to his charge.

The moment the words crossed his ears, Ciel stood up quickly, ripping the cloth from Sebastian's hand and stalking to the bathroom to clean himself up. His eyes were trained to the floor as he left. He had no desire to talk about his fiancee to these girls.

Sebastian sighed. "Ah, young master is still but a child, no matter how old he may be. Losing someone is always very tough. Elizabeth had gotten on his nerves, everyone's nerves for that matter, but she did give him reason to force a smile every so often. That was more than most could do, anyway," he hummed.

Ciel may have forgotten about the goal of the club, but Sebastian hadn't. If his young Bocchan planned on remaining long here, he'd have to do something. This turn of events, however, happened to work out rather perfectly. Sebastian knew just how to make this work in Ciel's favor.

"Yes, the Phantomhive Curse," Kyouya mentioned. He hadn't been sitting far away, just one table over doing work, and had heard every word. "I've done a bit of digging, and that's one thing I've noticed. I don't personally believe in curses, but if there were ever an unfortunate set of coincidences, it would be the Phantomhives."

Tamaki was at Kyouya's side in a minute. A crowd of girls were not far behind. "D-d-did you say c-curse?" he said, chills ghosting up his spine at the mention of the word. His fingers fluttered in quivering, unnerved movements, and a violent shiver ran up his neck.

"Why, yes. Don't tell me you're frightened?" Sebastian said imperiously.

One of the girls laughed cautiously. "But there's no such thing as curses," she said. A few others giggled cheerlessly as well, obviously frightened. Curses were clearly serious business. They could almost feel Nekozawa's tenebrous smirk from the back of the room.

"Ah, but the curse is very real. Mister Kyouya, you mentioned something about 'doing some digging', did you not? Just what did you happen to find?"

Kyouya chuckled once dryly. "An unfavorable series of events, by any means. It would seem our Earl Phantomhive's family has been unfortunate enough to suffer severe loss every twenty or thirty or so years. Every time the heir to the Phantomhive name, business, and fortune reaches the age of 14, it would seem that the eldest Phantomhive dies of a heart attack, always on the heir's birthday. I must admit, it is a bit odd."

"Yes, but my young lord lost significantly more than his father two years ago," Sebastian mentioned.

Kyouya sighed dramatically, or as dramatically as Kyouya _could _sigh while still being himself. Clearly, he had figured out what Sebastian was up to. "This is true," he said, glancing back down at his work in nonchalance.

"What h-happened?" Tamaki breathed, still terrified by the possibility of a curse.

Sebastian let a look of faux worry cross his face as he looked at the crowd hanging on his every word. "Just like his namesake, the first Ciel Phantomhive, he lived through his mansion burning to the ground. Tragically, he was the sole survivor... Supposedly he watched his parents' dying embrace through the fire before their bodies were ultimately incinerated."

Several girls stared up at Sebastian, their eyes glistening with tears.

"My young lord vanished off the face of the earth for a while after that, returning months later stronger, reincarnated like the mighty phoenix from the ashes!" Sebastian said dramatically, his voice reaching a crescendo. "He has tasted that sweet flavor of revenge and gone to hell and back to do so! He has lost everything and yet he still lives on with the memories of everyone he's ever known and loved burned on the backs of his eyelids!"

There was more than one sob rising from the assembled girls. Ciel poked his head inside the room, a small scowl on his face even though he had yet to notice what was occurring in the room.

"Sebastian, this suit is ruined. I'll require a new one," he demanded. Sebastian smirked and held his hands in an open gesture that said plainly 'sorry, ladies, but duty calls'. He swept from the room quickly to help his young lord. The girls were left with this knowledge, whispering about it until the time he returned, a confused expression on his face.

"What?" he had asked them, but a few girls just came up and hugged him (which he certainly did not appreciate, but tolerated for the sake of the club until he could figure out something better for him to do).

Ciel might not know it yet, but he was being cracked open like an egg for these girls. Sebastian was enjoying every moment of this.

It had been the following Friday that he gave into their cosplay (just a little) when they were enjoying the tropical theme and _everyone _had wanted to see him in the loud tropical print shirt they had chosen for him. He did mean everyone. Tamaki had been the one to pick the theme out. Kyouya had made a decidedly pointed remark about how much it had cost to get overnight shipping on the hibiscus, bleeding heartwine, and caladium and it would all go to waste if not everyone dressed up.

Even Haruhi had mentioned that today's cosplay was relatively tame, and that he might as well join in now so he wouldn't be forced into it by the twins. Which, speaking of the twins, it would seem that if anyone would forcibly strip Ciel down in front of everyone and pull the ugly flower print button-down over his head, it would be the two redheaded mischief-makers. They kept thrusting the vibrant orange and white fabric in his face in a very insistent way.

And finally, after the girls pleaded with him, he consented to wear the ugly shirt and allowed Honey to throw a floral lei around his neck. He even let the girls tuck some of the pale pink anthurium and hibiscus blooms into his hair. It had been a degrading experience, but the few years he had spent putting up with Elizabeth had taught him that if there was one thing girls liked, it was making things adorable. Allowing them to deck his plain black eye patch with a miniature bouquet was just another of those things.

He was figuring this out slowly but surely.

He sat back in his chair, one designed with reclining and kicking one's feet up in mind, the area around him richly decorated to look like a tropical paradise. His skin felt warm under the blast of the heater, humidifiers beading dew on his cool, pale flesh. Outside it was growing chilly, but indoors they were safe from the cold under the sunlamps. The scent of flowers hung heavily in the air like a perfume.

Around him was a lush, miniature jungle full of trees and ferns with waving fronds large enough for giggling girls to hide behind when they were acting secretive. Not that they could hear anything, though. He and Sebastian were about as alone as they'd ever been the whole time at this school. Just because no one was around, it didn't mean there were no prying eyes and ears. They spoke in words so soft only they could hear, and none of the girls dared creep close enough in the jungle plants to realize that they wouldn't be able to hear no matter where they stood.

"Flatter them, Young Master!"

"I don't know how that's going to help," Ciel replied petulantly, crossing his arms with a disdainful sniff.

"Everyone likes flattery. For instance, you, my lord, had lovely eyes," Sebastian replied with a smirk. "Of course, now there's only one left..."

"Don't bother, Sebastian. I fail to see how pointing out the obvious qualities in people supposedly delights them."

"Just because you refuse to acknowledge yourself in positive ways," the butler sighed.

Ciel sent a small glare up at him before glancing down at the brightly colored drink, a vibrant curling straw and paper umbrella leaning against the rim. He'd already tasted it, but it held little more than a superficial fruity flavor he'd picked up on through olfactory perception. It smelled much better than it tasted, or so it seemed to him. But then, as it was with most things, it was often the aroma of things that was left to him. Except when it came to tea...

"Sebastian?"

"Mmm, yes my lord?" Sebastian asked.

Ciel swept his legs down from the wooden slats that formed the rest for his feet. He sat sideways in the chair, the arm of it wrinkling the garish shirt and making it ride up enough to expose the smallest of slivers of light skin. He set the drink down on a side table.

"Fetch me my New Moon Drop tea, as well as my new appointments. You know what they say about procrastination," he sighed.

"How very mature of you, Young Master," Sebastian said, picking up the drink. "Why put off tomorrow what you can do today?"

"No," Ciel said in all seriousness. "That you can only put procrastinating off for so long."

"Of course, my young lord," Sebastian said as he bowed and swept away. Ciel stared at the cubes of ice floating in the fruity drink, thinking quietly. Flattery, huh? Was that it? Would that be the ultimate secret? It seemed too obvious.

What did Sebastian know about women, anyway? He was an ages old demon. But... Sebastian did certainly have his ways. Ciel could recall several... disturbing instances involving Sebastian and women. He'd been scarred for unlife just thinking about it.

"Here you are, Young Lord," Sebastian said, a gaggle of giggling ladies following close behind him. Almost quicker than the blink of an eye, Sebastian had a table and chairs set up for the group. When the demon had slowed to a normal pace, one could see that he held a large tray in his hands. This tray held an assortment of goodies ranging from Ciel's tea to instant coffee and cakes.

China cups were placed before every girl, along with a saucer and a delicate plate and fork. A colorful cake was the last to be presented.

"Tea for today includes the Host Club's usual instant coffee and Ciel's New Moon Drop tea. For dessert, we have Tropical Terrine, a frozen dessert constructed of various tropical fruit sorbets and toasted coconut and sweetened with dulce de leche spooned between the layers," Sebastian recited as he sliced into the banded sorbet cake.

Girls tentatively prodded the pink, white, and orange layers, some working up the nerve to taste the toasted coconut crusting the bottom. Ciel allowed the scent of tropical fruits to fill his nose. The taste itself was unremarkable, but the aroma was fine. He rather enjoyed strawberry and mango. They were always sweet, and he'd rarely gotten opportunities to eat them as a child.

"Wow, Ciel! Where did you find this cake?" a girl asked.

"Sebastian made it," Ciel replied. "I told him to. I hope it is to your liking?" he inquired back, peering at several of the girls inquisitively.

"It's wonderful!" another said, a forkful of the final bite of her's only inches from her lips.

He forced a pleasant smile onto his lips. "Excellent." Sebastian gave him a stern expression Ciel could only interpret as 'go on, say it'. "Only the best for ladies as lovely as you three," he forced, letting a millisecond's glare flash across his features, perceptible only to Sebastian.

The blonde's cheeks flushed a bright scarlet while the brunettes giggled to each other.

Sweet success.

* * *

><p>The next Monday dawned every bit as bright as the previous one. The chirping birds filled the air with their melodious cries. And somewhere far away from the Phantomhive's newest manor sat the school, in which an early morning meeting was going on unbeknownst to the demons who were currently running late.<p>

"What do you mean one of our customers has gone missing?" Tamaki nearly yelled with worry, slamming his fists down on the table.

"It's just as I said," Kyouya mentioned simply. "Over the weekend, one of our customers went missing. She supposedly vanished from a moderately busy shopping district on a trip with one of her friends. She has been officially declared a missing person by authorities, since no body has been found to make this a murder."

"This is impossible! How does someone just vanish?"

"Calm down, senpai," Haruhi said. "She'll be found soon."

Tamaki sniffled. "My daughter's worried about me!" he cried. "Gotta put on a brave face. Can't have my daughter getting worried now!"

Haruhi only shook her head. Her 'father' was an idiot sometimes. The girl would be found soon enough, safe and sound. There was no doubt about it.

* * *

><p>"Sebastian, what is this?" Ciel asked, brandishing a folded stack of newsprint at the blue butler.<p>

"Why, that would be a newspaper," Sebastian replied. "I'd have thought you of all people would know what a-"

"I know what a newspaper is," Ciel growled. "I meant, what is the meaning of this? Why did you give it to me?"

Sebastian only smiled. "I thought perhaps you would like to stay informed on matters related to your latest venture. Do you need me to read it to you?"

Ciel's ever-present glare intensified. "I can read it perfectly fine myself. A hundred years, and one would hope I could at least read a Japanese newspaper."

"Merely offering, my lord."

Ciel skimmed through the kanji printed on the paper, his displeased expression growing more and more dour with every passing second. When the darting blue eye met the bottom of the page, it rolled slowly up to the patiently waiting Sebastian. "How... curious. A girl as wealthy as her would have attracted a large sum of money, and yet there is no ransom, no body, and no leads. "

"Yes, quite odd."

"Sebastian, I wish to be informed of any similar cases to this one. A case like this one could become troublesome, should it get out of hand."

"Of course, my lord. Now, might I suggest we begin making our way out the door? You do have class today, after all."

Ciel sighed. "And today is another of those blasted host club meetings, isn't it?"

"Are you contemplating giving up, Bocchan? Most unlike you."

Ciel fixed the single eye on Sebastian again. "Never. Now let's go, shall we?"

* * *

><p><strong>Question: What other sort of things do you want Ciel and Sebastian to do with the Host Club? What would you guys like? Special cosplay days where I focus more on the costume itself? I'm thinking a trip to the beach. Or how about Kyouya's resort? I want more servile Sebastian... I also think a day of Ciel vs. the Twins would be amusing.<strong>

**So... uh... I need to say, I love this fic. I really do. But I've been so busy lately with my classes, and I just don't know where to take it. I had all of these ideas and I've forgotten most of the ones I didn't write down. I have the main plot, but I want some fanservice! If there's something you want Ciel to get stuck doing, just tell me. I have only a few ideas left and they just aren't enough for what I want. This is your big chance! I will take all ideas into consideration and give credit where it's due :) Thanks so much in advance!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Guess who's back? Back again? Tarn is back. Tell a friend. Okay, I'm done.**

**Who likes fanservice? Of course you all do. And who liked the corset scene? Of course you all did. So until we hit our lovely, Kuro-oriented plot, let's have a chapter or two of some traditional Ouran fanservice in the form of crossdressing, musical interludes, and friendly competition! **

**You guys came through for me in spades! Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed with great ideas!**

* * *

><p>"Sebastian, what is this?" Ciel growled. He held up a dress and scowled fiercely. Sebastian only smiled.<p>

Today was another of the Host Club meetings, and another cosplay day, if the costumes that greeted Ciel upon his arrival were anything to go off of.

Ciel understood the purpose of cosplay. He knew, by know, that it fascinated the girls they were entertaining. Girls that were interested were girls that paid well for the products put out by the Host Club. Not to mention that cosplay days acted as photo-ops for the club, despite Ciel never having signed anything releasing his photo to the Host Club, which he would be looking into soon, thank you very much.

Ciel was used to the Host Club acting in bizarre and vulgar ways. He was used to their strange tastes and uncanny ways. But this?

This had Sebastian written all over it.

Who else but Sebastian would know something like this? Almost the exact cut and style of the dress Ciel had worn the last time he had, well, he shuddered to think it. Ciel had no fondness for crossdressing. He didn't enjoy dressing up as a woman and he certainly didn't enjoy the corset that came with it.

The host club had even found hair extensions that looked similar to those he had worn a hundred years ago. If this was a coincidence, Ciel was done with everything.

"I'm not wearing it," he announced. "I will not ruin my family name by dressing in this... dress!"

Sebastian was smiling. This was only to be expected. Ciel had been prickly about the whole 'crossdressing' idea ever since his aunt had first made him do it. It didn't help that Sebastian, when the occasion demanded, enjoyed taunting Ciel by reminding him of it. If anyone had seen Ciel, reputation would have been damaged beyond all recovery. He would have never been allowed to forget it, and that first time had been far to close for Ciel's tastes.

And now this Host Club expected him to rehash the entire situation once more. But this time, everyone would know exactly who he really was.

He wouldn't do it. There were extenuating circumstances the last time. This time, Ciel would bluntly refuse. They had no right to make him wear it. Photography was even better than it was, and the images would spread so easily via internet to reach places where the Phantomhive name couldn't bear to suffer a loss in reputation. There was no way in hell that he was going to do this.

"But it would disappoint the girls," Sebastian said. "You don't want that."

Ciel glared. "Sebastian, kill me now," he groaned.

"Is that an order, young master?" Sebastian asked, a teasing smile on his face. He placed a hand on either side of Ciel's head, as if waiting for the command to snap his neck.

The girls beside them squealed in terror. "Nooo!" they cried. "Ciel, don't do it! Sebastian, disobey him!"

How much of Ciel's displeasure was just for show, and how much of it was genuine, Sebastian wasn't yet sure, but his job was a simple one if this was all it took to make the girls cry out in terror. Sebastian quite enjoyed this game.

"Now, now," Sebastian said soothingly, placing a hand on a worried blonde's shoulder. She looked at him with wide eyes. "The young lord Phantomhive's safety is my top priority, superseding all other commands. What kind of butler would I be if I didn't know when best to disobey him? A good butler follows orders exactly. A better one knows which orders to simply... ignore." Sebastian grinned, while Ciel ground his teeth, holding the dress up.

"Then destroy this instead."

"Please, Ciel! You would look so cute in a dress!" the blonde said.

Her brunette friend nodded emphatically. "The others are all wearing outfits from the French Renaissance! Well, Haruhi hasn't put his on yet, but he will when he gets here!"

"The others aren't wearing dresses," Ciel protested. He pointed at Tamaki, who looked dashing in a red waistcoat that was lavishly decorated with gold stylings and filigree. His crossed legs showed off his heeled, knee-high boots. "I won't dress like a girl just because somebody told me to! It would ruin my good name. In fact-"

Sebastian leaned forward and whispered into Ciel's ear, "You're letting the Hosts win."

Ciel paled, and the girls giggled, probably assuming that Sebastian had whispered something _else_ into his ear that wasn't a thinly veiled threat. These women were incapable of getting their minds out of the gutter. They squealed excitedly and pushed the dress at him with growing enthusiasm.

"Do I have to wear the corset?" he choked out. The girls cheered. Sebastian tutted.

"Only if you wish to wear the dress properly," he said. "Do you need me to lace it up for you?" He grinned at Ciel, the bastard, and Ciel growled under his breath and stormed into the changing room, the dress in one fist and the corset in the other. Pictures of this had better not leave Ouran, or there would be hell to pay.

The girls, and Sebastian, were close on his heels. Sebastian swept into the dressing room after Ciel while the girls pressed their ears to the door. Sebastian wore a smile as he went in. Moments later, the girls heard Ciel mumbling unhappily.

"I don't see why I have to do all this-" "Utterly pointless-" "Argh, watch it Sebastian, don't do that-"

The girls shuffled closer, exchanging excited looks from Ciel's commentary.

"Sorry, boccan, but you have to take them off..." One almost giggled aloud, but another clapped a hand over her mouth before any sound could escape.

"Why can I not wear socks? Nobody will see my feet in the dress."

"Hush."

There was a sudden gasp, and Ciel's breathless voice wavered out, "Seb-Sebastian. Wait."

"It has to be tight, young master, or it will not work."

"At least- AH! At least stretch it out some!" Ciel commanded.

"If I did that, we'd be in here all day," Sebastian said, his voice level as always. "Now relax, or it will be even more painful later."

"Ugh, oh! Huh, huh, can't breathe! Damn you!" Ciel cried out, gasping louder. His breath heaved in and out, the loud pants easily reaching the eavesdropping ladies. "You're going to kill me if you keep that up!"

One girl almost swooned.

"I doubt that anyone has ever died from a corset."

"YES! THEY HAVE! It suffocated countless women and broke their ribs when they breathed wrong!"

"Then you have nothing to worry about," Sebastian said. There was another gasp, and a satisfied chuckle from Sebastian. "There, finished. Smooth the dress down while I attach the hair extensions."

The four girls had never looked so thrilled in their entire lives than when Sebastian came out of the dressing room with a breathless Ciel in his arms. Ciel soon found himself sitting rigidly on a chaise, corset suffocating him and hair extensions swishing unfamiliarly against his face.

He was as pretty as girl, they whispered to each other, with a face that seemed to be lifted from the Botticelli painting that was hanging in the central hall. It was perfectly angelic, despite being slightly spoiled by his rather impressive pout.

Ciel's lips and cheeks were even slightly rouged in a way that was never done in Victorian England. It wasn't much, just enough to bring out the startling blue of his one visible eye and the drastic contrast between his hair and his creamy white skin. Curls spilled down his shoulders and were piled atop his head in dramatic fashion.

He looked every inch the perfect little princess. It was disgusting. Ciel had never been so glad that Lizzy wasn't there to see. This was even worse than the infiltration of the ball, the last time he had been disguised as a girl. Perhaps it was the new corset, less a fashion statement and more a medieval torture device that was hell-bent on killing him by squeezing him so tightly in his middle that everything inside of him was grossly displaced. All the demon power in the world couldn't make it comfortable.

The damn thing was even tighter now than it was when he was mortal, Sebastian using Ciel's demonically high pain tolerance to withstand the constriction needed to create an hourglass shape on a male figure. It left Ciel as a very unhappy young lady in a beautiful dress, surrounded by adoration from every angle.

"Now young ladies," Sebastian said. "You can keep this little situation our little secret, can't you? It wouldn't do to have images of the young master in a dress leaked to the outside world, now would it?"

The girls all nodded eagerly, chorusing 'of courses' and 'oh yeses'.

"When we get home, I'm going to murder you," Ciel hissed to Sebastian. "Then I will resuscitate you and kill you again."

"I await it eagerly, my young lord," Sebastian said.

"Impudent butler."

"My generous master."

Tamaki laughed, and Ciel jumped in surprise. "When did you get here?!" he asked.

Tamaki ignored the question. "Such chemistry! When Renge is right, she's right!"

"If you have no business here, then kindly leave," Ciel said, still embittered by the costume. He smoothed the ruffles and tried to keep his shortness of breath from showing. He didn't need to breathe any longer, of course, but if he didn't breathe, he couldn't talk, and it was entirely inconvenient altogether.

"You wound me!" Tamaki said, clutching at his chest but not looking the least bit rebuked. "I just came to see how my lovely Princess Ciel was doing!"

Ciel rolled his eyes. "I am a lord, not some make-believe _princess_. And let me guess. Haruhi isn't here yet, is she?"

Ciel hit the nail on the head. Tamaki looked worried. "Not yet. You don't think she went missing the same as the other girl, do you? Hikaru and Kaoru won't tell me whether they saw her today or not. You're in class with her, did you see her?"

"Of course I did. She is staying late to do some extracurricular assignment. Apparently it's a requirement for maintaining her scholarship here."

Tamaki was visibly relieved and a bit furious. "Stupid, too-much-free-time-on-their-hands twins... Telling me they weren't sure if they'd seen her or not..."

At that moment, the doors to the host club opened and Haruhi walked in, still wearing the usual blue-suit uniform instead of any cosplay. She glanced around for a second before spotting Tamaki and Ciel, and she hurried towards them.

"HARUHI!" Tamaki cried, running forward. He held a dress in his hands that Ciel could have sworn wasn't there only moments ago. It looked exactly like the one Tamaki had unsuccessfully tried to get Haruhi to wear the first week of school.

Haruhi pushed him out of the way with a roll of her eyes. "Hello, Senpai."

"Daddy was so worried about you! Here, your dress! I can't wait to see it on you!" Tamaki said, pushing the pastel, candy-like confection of silk and taffeta into her arms.

Haruhi shook her head. "Sorry, but I can't stay. I was just letting you know that I needed to head home early today."

Tamaki blinked. "...What?"

Ciel rolled his eyes from the chaise. "Haruhi obviously doesn't want to wear the dress. It's bad enough I have to," he said.

Haruhi looked at him for a moment. "Ciel?" she asked. A little smile spread across her face, and she started to laugh. Ciel frowned.

"What? What's so funny?"

"I- I'm sorry," she barely managed, covering her mouth, "but you look more like a girl wearing that dress than _I _would!" she said. She started laughing even harder, and the girls joined in with her, although they clearly missed why it was so funny in the first place.

"I- I DO NOT!" Ciel said, standing up. A faint blush spread across his cheeks, naturally darkening the rouge.

Sebastian chuckled and wrapped his arm around Ciel's waist, picking him up and carrying him to a mirror along one wall. "You'll find you do look very feminine, especially with your hair styled like that."

Ciel's blush deepened, while girls cooed and came closer. Haruhi at least had the decency to look apologetic when when she approached. "Sorry, Ciel, you just surprised me. I didn't even realize it was you until you spoke."

"You should be proud of yourself, young master," Sebastian said. "It's an accomplishment to look so much like a woman, and you pull it off much better than most."

"Doesn't feel like it," Ciel growled.

Just then, the twins sidled up to him, cackling in that way that the twins always seemed to be doing. "You do make a pretty girl," Hikaru said.

"Are you sure you aren't actually one? We've made that mistake once already," Kaoru said, grabbing at the hem of the skirt in an indecent way. Customers giggled wildly while Ciel backed out of reach.

"I AM NOT A GIRL!" he yelled.

Haruhi shooed them away. "Fun's over" she said to the twins. She glanced at the clock and sighed. "Sorry, but I really have to go home."

"So soon?" a customer asked. "We really wanted to see you in a dress like Ciel!"

Haruhi gave her a soft smile. "Maybe tomorrow."

"Prooommissseee?" the twins asked.

"Don't bet on it," she retorted. "Bye!"

Ciel's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as Haruhi left the room. "Where does Haruhi live? Obviously not in an estate or manor, if she is here on scholarship."

"It's an apartment!" the twins said.

"...Apartment?" Ciel asked.

Sebastian quickly said, "A building with many separate housing units that is rented rather than owned. They are common in cities."

The girls laughed as Ciel took a dainty seat on the chaise. "You don't know what an apartment is, Ciel?" a redhead asked. "Many commoners live in them."

Ciel nodded in understanding. If one was too poor to afford permanent housing, or there was too little land available for such a thing, as the case might be on an island like Japan, then it would certainly be smart, not to mention extremely economical and profitable, for commoners to rent housing from landlords. It was simple common sense and logic, and Ciel had always been fond of cold logic.

"A smart idea... I have never heard of it before," Ciel admitted. The girls laughed harder. If there had ever been any doubt in their minds that Ciel was anything less than filthy stinking rich, it was gone. He was as far from a commoner as one could get, and that made his growing friendship with Haruhi even more entertaining than it was before, as far as the girls saw it.

Ciel didn't consider it friendship, more a slight tolerance for her over the insanity of the other Host Club members, but it was already probably the closest thing to friendship he was ever likely to have with anyone at this school, let alone this miserable little rock called Earth.

"Where do you live?" Kurakano asked. "There aren't many places for large estates."

"I have a manor not far from here. It isn't on much land, but the building is a nearly identical replica to the one I own back in England," Ciel said. "That one was a Victorian era, perfectly reconstructed after the fire. You wouldn't notice a difference."

Tamaki decided that it was the perfect time to re-enter the scene. "Fire?"

"You heard the story before, Tamaki," Kyouya droned. "The Phantomhive 'Curse'. Ciel's manor in England burned to the ground just over a year ago, as it has at odd intervals throughout the last few hundred years."

"Kyouya is correct, my English Manor was razed to the ground, rather like a miniature French Revolution in my own backyard, if you want to reference our outfits," Ciel said, gesturing down at himself. He caught Sebastian's eye and started, quickly understanding the look that his butler was giving him. It was a reminder to put on a show for the young ladies of the Host Club. He promptly allowed a trace of dampness to flood his eye, just enough to make it shimmer.

It wasn't a tear; Ciel could no longer cry, even if he had wanted to. More than anything, it was a clever illusion and some demonic power, and it served Ciel well enough.

"I was playing the violin when it happened... I smelled the smoke, and I ran to the parlor. The door was shut tight, and the handle burned my fingers when I touched it, but I ignored the pain. I threw the doors open and saw flames tearing the room apart. There, in the heart of the room, already dead, sat my parents, motionless as they burned. I still... remember..." Ciel whispered, a bit overly-dramatic, but it had the intended effect. He looked away, as if it was too painful to continue. "I'll be back," he said, standing.

The girls made all of the appropriate gestures of pity, and Ciel suddenly found himself surrounded by an entire flock of admirers and sympathizers. As horrible as it was, he would still count it as an underhanded success, as their pity meant fewer girls doting on the other Host Club members. If Ciel was keeping score, which he was, it would be a win.

"So when do we get to see it?" the twins asked, speaking simultaneously. They crossed arms and leaned their shoulders against one another, twining together in one of the more popular poses for the two.

"Never," Ciel said automatically. There was no way in hell that he would ever show any of these host club members his private residence. He couldn't stand guests to begin with, and nothing had ever served to endear them to him. Never mind that Ciel barely tolerated the new servants. They were about as efficient as the old ones at doing chores (which was to say, not at all), only they didn't come with the advantage of being trained to defend the Phantomhive manor against attack as the old ones were.

Plus, there wasn't anyone who could really measure up to his old servants. Tanaka had passed on not long after Ciel had become a demon. Baldroy and May-Rin lived to see many years before moving on, and Finny was still alive, although he was old and grey now. They had moved on with their lives and so had Ciel, and when they parted ways, it was for forever.

But despite their many, many, _many_ shortcomings, Ciel would have been remiss to completely ignore them... Or even to admit that he might, perhaps, miss them, if only just a little, tiny bit.

But no. He would not entertain such juvenile house guests, and he certainly wasn't going to allow the club and customers to come in. That just wasn't going to happen.

"Aww, come on, Ciel. It'll be fun!" Kaoru said.

"I wanna see Ciel-chan's home!" Honey announced, poking his head up.

Ciel flipped his hair, catching the attention of a large number of the guests. When he stood, he was unwavering despite his towering heeled boots giving him the look of normal height. "This conversation is over. Sebastian, tea and cake, if you would." With that, he ran his hands over his shape once and flashed a smile towards the girls. They gasped, and he walked off to find a new chaise away from the rest of the club, his gait smooth and his hips swaying just slightly. A few girls followed him eagerly enough, like they had fallen under a spell.

Tamaki was left blinking. Kyouya smirked.

"You must admit, he does make a very convincing young lady. One might almost think he's done this before."

"So what?" Hikaru said. "I wanted to see where he lives. We got to see where Haruhi lives, didn't we?"

"We could always drop by unannounced, like we did then," Kaoru said.

"But Ciel-chan is so scary," Honey said. "Not like Haru-chan."

Tamaki frowned, but his eyes didn't leave Ciel as the young lord entertained his guests. "Maybe there's another way..." he said.

* * *

><p>After the last guest left the host club, Ciel groaned and stretched. "Sebastian, do you have those documents ready for me?"<p>

"Of course, my young lord. They await you back at your study," Sebastian replied immediately. He bowed and offered his hand to Ciel to help him stand. Ciel took it. The boning in the corset had left him sore and stiff, and he leaned against Sebastian tiredly.

"And the invitations?"

"Posted and awaiting response-"

Suddenly, Tamaki appeared, silent despite the noisy boots he wore. His ruffled red coat swished around him. "I know what we're going to do!" he announced.

Ciel leapt back, making a loud noise of surprise and displeasure. "Where did you come from? What are you talking about?"

"We're going to hold a contest!" Tamaki continued, oblivious.

Ciel shook his head, quickly removing the hair extensions. His eyepatch was revealed as the hair moved away from his face, and he smudged the rouge on his lips unknowingly. "I honestly have no clue what you're talking about."

"It's all very simple!" Tamaki laughed, looking positively delighted. Ciel's nose wrinkled in displeasure. It should be illegal for someone to look so much like the Viscount Druitt, especially when Ciel was wearing this dress and looking so much like a girl still. Demon or not, it still made Ciel uncomfortable. "If we win, we get to visit your mansion with all of our guests!"

Ciel narrowed his eyes. "You're still on that? A dog with a bone, refusing to give it up? You'll never visit my mansion, I will tell you that right now. I won't agree."

Tamaki looked genuinely surprised. "... What?"

"You aren't visiting my mansion, and you certainly aren't bringing the girls. I refuse. It's quite simple; you don't have to look so dumbstruck about it."

Sebastian looked on consideringly. "Perhaps it would be wise to bring the Host Club, if only to get it out of the way. Surely they'll continue to pester you about it until you give in."

"Then I won't give in," Ciel said. It was all so obvious. Ciel would just have to hold out. He was a demon. He could hold out much longer than any human ever could. But... something about Ouran was a bit odd. People could appear seemingly out of nowhere and startle even Ciel. There was no telling if the Host Club really would surrender.

His expression became troubled.

What if they didn't? What if they bothered Ciel about it until the day he could finally leave this school? He had already written one report, but more were necessary to ensure that this establishment was absolutely safe. It certainly wouldn't be, if more girls went missing.

Ciel would have to be strong. He managed to make it through one school relatively unscathed. This one was even less threatening than the other. But...

"You're saying if I won this competition, you wouldn't bring the host club to my estate?"

Tamaki nodded. "Yup!"

"And you would stop asking to come?" Ciel pressed.

"If that's what it takes to get you to compete," Tamaki said, growing a little more excited. "Will you agree?"

Ciel sighed. "Just what is the contest, anyway?"

Tamaki smiled. "Simple. You just have to get a hundred new requests in one day."

A hundred requests? Ciel would have to convince a hundred students to want to spend a day with him instead of another member? The odds of that happening were miniscule! Many of the girls were very set in their ways, and always went to the same hosts.

Then again, Ciel had the number of guests he did because he had unwittingly taken a few from Honey's devoted shota-loving guests and the Hitachiin Twins' fans of forbidden, homosexual love. That much had been effortless. Just how many fans could he have if he actually tried?

Ciel had been hoping for some sort of barometer for his successes and failures within this club. How would he know whether or not he was winning without it? But this, this would be just the thing. If he managed it, then it would prove that these idiots were no match for Ciel! Or at least, it would prove that Ciel could be very convincing when he wanted to be.

"Fine," he said finally. "You have yourself a deal. If I get at least one hundred requests during the next club meeting, you won't come to my estate. But only if I get to choose what we do at a future host club meeting."

Tamaki looked thrilled, like he had already won the contest. "Great! It's a deal then! Good luck!"

"Like I need something as silly as luck," Ciel said, smirking, a flash of red glinting through his eye. Tamaki did a double-take, paling slightly, but shook his head like nothing had happened.

Ciel would win this little contest, without a doubt, and then the host club wouldn't be able to bother him at his home. It was one less thing for him to worry about when there was still so much to do.

Basic market research told Ciel that Funtom Products would be very popular in Japan, and he was planning on doing a bit more of an in-depth look to find out which products in particular should be focused on in which areas. Ciel hoped to have a few stores open before he moved on to new things, or at least have them planned out and in the process of finalization. Ciel didn't want to be in Japan any longer than was necessary, and he would kill two birds with one stone if it was possible.

* * *

><p><strong>This was actually one of my ideas, so I don't have any credits due to my fine reviewers today, but I should be getting to some of your ideas soon enough! MyraBrown and readaddict123, among others, might notice my setup :)<strong>

****Side note, I had completely forgotten about this fic. Thanks to my reviewers! You're always inspiring!****

****Also, I scanned over the OHSHCxKuroshitsuji crossover page for the first time in forever, and I was blown away by people who've started doing the 'missing girls' and 'royal assignment' plots. I feel like a trendsetter! Those two things will actually be very important later on, so if you're a fan of those, hold on! We've got a bit more fanservice before any real plot comes up.****

**Question: Is anyone keeping up with the latest in Kuro-news? Like maybe that new Kuroshitusji anime that's being made right now? You know, that one that's going to follow the circus arc of the manga? You know, that one called** **Black Butler Book of Circus**** and is really awesome and you should watch if you're a fan of the anime? Yes. This is a real thing. Would I lie to you?**  
><span>


	6. Chapter 6

**Probably the quickest update I've ever had for this fic even though my life decided to completely SUCK for a few days there. Seriously! LIFE! Why must you spit on me, like, all the time? 11 hours of homework in one night is NOT OKAY. EVER.**

**Anyway. Who's ready for more fanservice? Because, oh baby, more fanservice is on its way. PLANS. I HAS THEM.  
><strong>

* * *

><p>"Sebastian..." Ciel said.<p>

He was sitting in his study, Sebastian by the door with a silver tray in his hands.

A large clock pounded in Ciel's ears again and again as the pendulum swung. Each count was marked by the roving second hand, demarcating the slow, inexorable passage of time. This was torture, trying to accomplish work while waiting for tomorrow to come. _  
><em>

Sebastian waited for him to continue. Finally, Ciel sighed.

"How do I win?" he asked.

"You're asking me, Boccan?" Sebastian asked, lips curling. "Me, out of every living or quasi-living thing on Earth?"

Ciel narrowed his eyes. "You know exactly why I'm asking you," he snapped.

Sebastian had an undeniable way about him that lured in women easily, often carelessly. Ciel was 'cute', unfortunately, and while that alone was enough to become popular at the Host Club, it wasn't enough to seal the deal and win tomorrow's contest for Ciel. He needed an unquestionable victory. He needed a strategy.

He steepled his fingers thoughtfully, staring his infuriating butler down while he waited for an answer.

Sebastian finally chuckled. "Of course, my young lord. I may be able to think of an idea or two. But I'm afraid you might not like all of them..."

"The ends justify the means, Sebastian," Ciel said. "I need a solid win. Now do I have to command you to help me, or will you do as I ask?" He was burning with impatience.

"Of course, Young Master."

* * *

><p>Sebastian was right. Ciel didn't like the ideas.<p>

But they were sure to work, if Ciel played his cards just right. Everything had already been set up in the host club and amongst the club-goers, intentionally or not. Sebastian intuitively knew how best to arrange these sorts of things, which had placed Ciel in an advantageous position. Now all that was left to do would be to reap the fruits of all of that labor.

After the nondisclosure agreements were signed, a marvel of the 21st Century that Ciel found highly convenient, then the fun would begin. Nothing would stop Ciel from winning. Not even the host club could compete with what he had in store for the ladies tomorrow.

But after plotting through the night, Ciel finally ushered Sebastian to collect the pages of notes and destroy them. There was no more need of them anymore. And as Sebastian swept from the study, Ciel rose to his feet and turned to the large window behind the desk. It was black as pitch outside, and he could see his reflection in the glass like a mirror.

He already looked a bit unlike himself. A bit older, maybe. Just enough to pass for a teenager, but he still looked too young to attend Ouran Academy. But tomorrow, he doubted if he would even recognize himself. It had to be done, much as Ciel was loathe to do it. He turned, just as Sebastian returned with a small black case in his hands.

"This is all I have to do?" Ciel asked.

Sebastian gave him a curt nod. "Yes. But it will not be easy," he warned. Sebastian set the case on the desk and opened it, turning it enough for Ciel to see inside. "Will this one do, my lord?"

"Perfectly."

* * *

><p>Morning came all too quickly, and class seemed to fly by, much to Ciel's dismay. He dreaded what was going to happen next. Compounding this was the gleeful expressions on the twins' faces.<p>

Haruhi asked once what they were so excited about. Ciel could only sigh, while Sebastian explained the short version of what had transpired in the final few minutes of the previous host club meeting. A contest, he explained, where if Ciel does not attain a hundred requests today, the host club will visit the Phantomhive Manor. However, if Ciel won, there would be a host club day of his choosing.

"So what will you do if you win?" she asked.

Ciel shrugged. The conversation ended as quickly as it had begun.

Finally, it was time to head to the music room.

He kept his head up high and tried to keep from cringing from what would happen next. He didn't stop as he walked into the club that day. Tamaki was telling a story, dressed in his usual clothes, but he paused in it long enough to send a knowing grin to Ciel. Ciel smirked back, but not out of niceties. So that was how he was going to play it, was he?

Pretend that nothing was going on, and see what Ciel would do on a typical hosting day? Pretend there was no contest, so as not to sway the girls to one side or the other? Generous of him, but Ciel didn't need the handicap. He would win this just fine, regardless of what Tamaki could throw at him.

He went straight for the dressing room. Behind him, Sebastian balanced a large bag in one hand and a box in the other. Girls watched him pass, and a few got up to follow as if lured by the pied piper himself.

The door shut behind the two, and it was silent, save for the rusting of large quantities of fabric, soft grunts, and the pulling of strings. He looked at himself one last time in the mirror, hands clenching tightly.

He hated this so much. But this was sure to work, and if it didn't Ciel always had a backup plan or two in his sleeve. Not that he really had much sleeve to speak of anymore.

"It's time," he said to Sebastian.

Sebastian smiled and opened the door, escorting Ciel out into the main room. Jaws dropped, Ciel was pleased to note. Actually dropped, with girls staring at him with mouths agape and eyes wide.

And why wouldn't they? Ciel was captivating. If yesterday had made him so popular, then why shouldn't going even further only serve to make him even more popular? Which is why Ciel finally agreed to this.

He wore a dress once more, this one a black and white vision of ruffles and lace, fitted to his body with yet another corset, and with longer, fuller hair extensions that mirrored the long hairstyle he had worn the first time he had been so unfortunate as to have to wear a dress. Where yesterday he had been merely 'cute', today he was drop dead gorgeous, and Ciel knew it. Flaunted it. Wobbled every now and again in the towering heeled boots, but working the dress from every angle he knew.

Behind him, Sebastian chuckled.

Ciel turned and shot him a dangerous look. "Something funny, Sebastian?" he asked quietly.

"Nothing, my lord," Sebastian said, hiding his mouth with his hand. He looked away, but it was clear that he was still amused. "Or should I say, lady?"

"Ciel! You're so pretty!" a girl said, preventing Ciel from saying anything.

"I thought you didn't like cosplay," another said.

Ciel struggled to put on a demure expression. "I don't, really. But I remembered how much you seemed to like it when I dressed like this, and I wanted to thank you ladies for being so understanding yesterday, so I thought you might like it if I wore something like this..."

"My young master is so thoughtful today," Sebastian mused. Ciel watched him from the corner of his eye. Sebastian was an excellent actor of course, so Ciel doubted he had much to worry about. So long as Sebastian did as he was told, and Ciel could keep the bile in his throat down until he got his chance, today would go smoothly without a hitch, and no one would come and visit his mansion. Not only that, but he would win a free pass to do as he pleased one day. What that day would be spent doing, Ciel had yet to determine.

But having it would give Ciel an edge.

A gloved hand patted the top of his head, mindful of the small hat and two long, flowing ponytails. Something about the gesture made the girls look on with a flicker of excitement. Maybe it was the way Sebastian's hand lingered a moment too long, or how, when his eyes met Ciel's, his lips curled slightly, tenderly, almost with a certain fondness.

"Sebastian, are you dressed up, too?" one of the girls asked, noting the black tailcoat he wore in place of the usual blue suit that did not suit him at all.

"Of course he is," Ciel said. "He's dressed as my tutor, and propriety dictates that it's perfectly acceptable for a young lady to be escorted around by her tutor."

The girls looked delighted. "I can't believe it," one giggled. "You look like you're going to a ball!"

Ciel fanned himself with a small silk fan he held in one hand, a pretty little thing bedecked in ribbons. "I do, don't I? But it is so boring, being a lady. There's hardly anything fun to do besides sit and talk. Maybe it would be nicer if I really was going to a ball," he said, smiling pointedly at Sebastian. "Dancing, music, it'd be so... interesting, wouldn't it?"

Interesting being a word for it. Revolting being another. Ciel quieted these thoughts as Sebastian nodded thoughtfully.

"Does the young mistress wish to dance?" he asked.

Ciel pretended to think about it for a moment, then extend a hand towards the girl nearest him. Her eyes grew wide and let Ciel take her by the hand and spin through the room, despite the lack of music. Sebastian hummed, but it was soft and only audible to those who had taken a seat close to the pair. He offered his hand to another customer and she took it, giggling excitedly. The pair spun alongside Ciel and his partner, forming a square that traded partners every so often.

It was a traditional dance, nothing too difficult, and the girls were easily able to keep up with the demons, laughing softly and seeming to enjoy spinning through the air.

Ciel caught a shocked look on Tamaki's face as they passed. Nearby, the twins were howling with laughter. Ciel almost stumbled when he noticed them, but pretended that he hadn't seen them and continued on.

More girls gathered around the section of the room where Ciel had taken up residence, asking questions of the girls who had seen the start of the show. They looked excited and eager, clamoring to be danced with next. There were perhaps twenty girls already, and the day had just begun. Ciel was beginning to feel confident.

He considered it a win every time another girl looked away from a member to watch them, a dreamy expression on her face. Some watched the handsome face of Sebastian, his slight smirk and the smooth grace with which he led the dance. Others watched Ciel spin tirelessly across the floor, hair spinning out behind him and dress lifting enough to appear fuller than before.

And then the music started, and Ciel almost fell flat on his face. Both paused in their dancing, girls stumbling, to turn and face the source. Tamaki had taken a seat in front of a grand piano that Ciel could have sworn was not in the room before. But, music room, it was to be expected, wasn't it? Tamaki's fingers danced across the keys in their own version of the waltz as he teased a beautiful song out of the piano. Ciel hadn't even known he could play.

"Dance on, _Lady_ Phantomhive," Tamaki laughed, continuing the song. Ciel growled under his breath as some of the girls looked away from him to watch Tamaki play. And why shouldn't they? They loved the way his fingers moved smoothly over the black and white keys, the way his blue eyes half-closed and wavered, slowly closing the further he slipped into the music, the way he lost himself under the spell he wove over the room.

They started dancing again, but the magic was lost to Tamaki, as a few other girls started to dance as well, and host club members led them around the room, trading partners after only seconds.

After a few minutes, Ciel feigned exhaustion to sit in his chair, and a group of girls, larger than usual, sat beside him immediately. Sebastian bowed away from the girl, and she followed him as he took his place by Ciel's side.

"Dancing is so tiring," Ciel sighed, pretending to wipe sweat from his brow.

"Doesn't Tamaki play so beautifully?" a girl asked, her voice distant and dreamy.

"He does, he does," the others agreed.

One, a loyal customer who had stayed close to Ciel from the very beginning, piped up, "Sebastian, doesn't Ciel play an instrument? Violin, right?"

"He does, in fact," Sebastian said. Ciel had to bite his tongue to hold back the excitement. This was going better than he had planned. He had expected to have to find a way to bring this up himself. If someone commented on the lack of music, Sebastian was to suggest this himself. But it was very possible that the girls would do everything for them.

Everything was going perfectly.

Sebastian smiled generously. "In fact, the young master plays most beautifully. Some say the angels stop to listen..."

Ciel glared. "No. I haven't played in ages. I'm out of practice. I-I couldn't." He allowed his voice to waver slightly.

"But my young lord, you haven't touched your violin since the manor burned. Surely it is time to pick it up once more?"

The girls gasped as they remembered the significance of the violin from yesterday's tale. The ones who took notice tried to tell him he didn't need to play if he didn't want to. If the last time he had played had been the day that his parents had died, no one wanted to make him dredge up painful memories. All a lie, of course, but they had no idea.

"I- I don't know-" He colored his voice with doubt and did a fantastic job of it, if he did say so himself. He thought he caught a long, lingering glance from Kyouya, but decided the suspicion was purely his imagination. "No," he said suddenly. He steeled his resolve and curled his hands into fists. "I can do it. I- know I can."

"But your family-" one girl said, but she was quickly shushed by the others.

"My family is gone. Nothing I do will ever bring them back. Dwelling on their memories serves no real purpose, save making life a sad and sorry place. I can play. Sebastian, bring me my violin," he commanded. The girls looked to him in awe.

Sebastian bowed. "Yes, my lord," he said, before retrieving a black case. He placed it on the table in front of Ciel, and he opened it up with a small flourish. Ciel drew the bow and tightened the strings, passing it to Sebastian to finish the job. He reached into the case once more and pulled the instrument from its bed of velvet, placing it under his chin and reclaiming the bow.

Ciel listened to the song that Tamaki played, letting it echo through his head until he was sure he could follow along, and then he began to play.

At first he let the violin sing lurid and sweet, slow and sorrowful along with the piano's gentle song, watching Tamaki for his reaction. As soon as Tamaki heard, he opened his eyes and seemed less than surprised to see Ciel playing. In fact, Tamaki smiled and picked up the pace slightly, turning the graceful melody into something slightly faster and more energetic, as if he'd expected something like this to happen.

Ciel followed along in time. His demonic powers enhanced his hearing, his mind, and he could tear apart the song Tamaki played as fast as Tamaki could play it and rework it to something for himself. When Tamaki's music soared, he let the violin taper into the background, and when Tamaki lulled, he let his own sweet notes ring out high and clear and resoundingly full. It became a dance itself, this sort of give and take, and it swallowed the two of them whole.

The girls were thoroughly enchanted by the sight.

To one side of the room, there was the beautiful blond angel playing such sweet music on the piano, his fingers graceful and swift, unfaltering as they played on and on in that inexorable way. His feet pumped at the pedals as necessary, and he swayed just so with the music. He was innocent and beautiful, soft like the light of heaven falling from above.

To the other side of the room, there stood the seductive demon drawing from his devil's instrument the song that led youthful mortals to sin. This was the darkness, the unholy, the reason that the violin was once considered a work of pure evil. It was beautiful too, but it was dark and beguiling, and those it captivated it held trapped. His whole body swayed with the song, and the bow sang savagely over the strings.

It was too beautiful, filled with a bitter sort of sorrow that ripped deep down to the core of everything. Poignant, like a wish made iridescent under the luster of the moon, or a soft kiss on the cheek of the one you love as you say goodbye for the last time.

It was never being able to see someone again, no matter how long you lived. Pain, tragedy, agony, and anguish, bottled up and suddenly, violently released in a radiant explosion of tragedy. For a while, no one could bear to move, and those who could seemed to find the urge to dance irresistible.

And then there were those few who noticed the single tear that ran, shimmering, down Ciel's cheek, faintly blurring the lines of makeup.

Finally the never-ending song seemed to wind down, and girls found their eyes wet with tears, though none could quite decide why. Ciel let the violin fall from his shoulder, letting his whole body sag. Without looking at anyone, he put away the violin and left the room, and all any of the girls could talk about was Ciel.

When he finally returned, the makeup was pristine once more and his hair was perfectly styled after the mussing it had taken from dancing. A massive crowd of girls surrounded his chair. Sebastian swept behind him and carried him to his seat, and Ciel threw his arms around Sebastian's neck, though he knew Sebastian would never drop him.

Finally Sebastian lowered Ciel into his seat, and he sank into it immediately. The exhaustion was no act. Using so much demonic energy had sapped him nearly completely. His eye fluttered tiredly.

The violin had acted like a vector, suffusing the room and infecting a large number within it with Ciel's will. It made pulses race, palms sweat, emotions more easily influenced. It attracted them, like moths to an open flame, and it drew them closer to him.

But something of this magnitude had required several things in conjunction. Something to carry the spell was required, a sound, a particular aroma. And of course, their attention was required as well. Those who watched him the closest, those who stared at him in a dress, those who watched him dance or play, were the most infected by this. And, of course, the desire to do this. And it had required mass amounts of energy, of course. Something this large-scale would never be simple, not for a demon as young as Ciel.

A high cost, but the ends would justify all of the effort.

"The tear was a nice touch, boccan," Sebastian said quietly.

Ciel smirked. "I'm aware. Hmm, Sebastian," he murmured. "What is the official count?"

"One hundred and twenty two, my lord," Sebastian replied.

Ciel grinned to himself, closing his eye. "Looks like I win."

* * *

><p>"I-impossible!" Tamaki said, looking down at his hands in shock. "How did he do it?"<p>

"How could you lose, boss?" Hikaru asked.

"Yeah, you were supposed to keep him from winning!" Kaoru said.

Together, the twins chimed, "How could you let this happen?"

Kyouya came up behind them, closing his padfolio and resting it on the table under his fingers. "Simple, he managed to get the requests of over a hundred guests. How he accomplished this, well... That's still to be determined. It would seem that we severely underestimated _The Queen's Guard Dog,_" Kyouya said silkily.

Tamaki narrowed his eyes in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

Kyouya smirked, opened the folio, and withdrew an earmarked page from within. This he laid on the table. The three crowded around it, jostling to read it.

"Ciel is..." Tamaki said.

"Whoa," the twins said.

Kaoru looked up first. "So... are we still going to visit him?"

"Of course!" Tamaki announced, thrusting a finger into the air in a valiant pose.

* * *

><p>"So, young master," Sebastian said. "Do you have plans yet about what to do with your prize?"<p>

Ciel grinned, drumming his fingertips softly against the desk of his study. "I might have an idea or two. But first, there are more important things to attend to."

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you, Paxloria for the mention of demon power induced trances :) Several others provided inspiration and foreshadowing, but you'll be credited fully when your ideas are played out all the way through! Thanks to you too!<strong>

**In light of the awesome Black Butler Book of Circus arc of the anime (which is the main reason I'm updating like nobody's business), I was wondering, which Kuro ginger do you prefer? Drocell or Joker? Remember, Drocell is the one who made the dolls and sang London Bridges. Joker is the one with the prosthetic hand and teardrop under his eye who led the circus. There's also Grell and Madam Red, isn't there? Let's throw 'em in too. Favorite red-head!**


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